Maravi

Rupiah can't win without rigging - Hichilema

Rupiah can't win without rigging - Hichilema
By Lambwe Kachali
Monday October 20, 2008 [04:00]

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday charged that Vice-President Rupiah Banda cannot win the October 30 election without rigging. And Hichilema said Vice-President Banda is inviting trouble if he continues threatening people who will dispute the outcome of the presidential election in the event that he wins.

During a press conference at the UPND secretariat, Hichilema charged that it was clear that Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was facilitating to rig the election in favour of Vice-President Banda following the revelations where a driver from

Kalabo District Council was caught with unverified ballot boxes in a government vehicle.

He said it was sad that ECZ was being used by Vice-President Banda and his campaign team to rig the election.

Hichilema said attempts to smuggle ballot papers were a conspicuous demonstration that Vice-President Banda was in a state of desperation and panic.

He said Zambians were convinced that ECZ was highly incompetent and that it was there to facilitate the process of rigging and instead of conducting a free and fair election.

"Rupiah wants to win an election through a hook and crook because he has a 'crooked' political record. We want to state that time for stealing election and go scot-free is over, time to cheat and perpetrate electoral deceit is over," Hichilema said.

"This time around we are prepared to defend our hard-earned vote. No amount of threats and intimidation from Rupiah will make us surrender. We are prepared to defend our victory because we strongly feel we are winning this election."

He said because of ECZ's incompetence, UPND had withdrawn its earlier position to have the extra ballot papers sent to various polling districts.

"We are now demanding that the extra 600,000 ballot papers be destroyed or burnt forthwith without any further negotiation. The Electoral Commission of Zambia can no longer inspire the confidence of the people of Zambia. Nonetheless, we are determined to fight on and win this election. We are putting measures to ensure that all political machinations that RB and his team are crafting will be stopped," Hichilema said.

"We want to reiterate that the people of Zambia are sick and tired of having their free will being stifled; enough to electoral cheating. We have now reached a level where we can no longer only talk and our voices are running on deaf ears. We are prepared to institute measures within the framework of the law to ensure that for once the people of Zambia get a leader of their choice."

On Vice-President Banda's threats to deal with those who would not accept the outcome of the October 30 polls, Hichilema said politics of thuggery and hooliganism would not be condoned in Zambia.

"Rupiah cannot win in a clean election. If Rupiah wants to deal with us who have decided not to accept the results when they go in his favour, then he is inviting trouble. Mr Rupiah Banda wants to turn Zambia into Zimbabwe. We say no, we will not tolerate it and we will not accept it.

Mr Rupiah Banda wants to plunge this country into chaos and anarchy; Mr Rupiah Banda is reintroducing politics of thuggery and hooliganism, reminiscent of the past where divergent views were not allowed. We say no to reintroduction of 'one party' mentality," he said.

He further accused Vice-President Banda of advocating violence, bribery and corruption.

Hichilema said it was sad that despite calls from various stakeholders urging political players against abusing government resources, Vice-President Banda had defiantly and with impunity continued to waste taxpayers' money.

He warned Vice-President Banda that once he lost the election, he Vice-President Banda would be required to account for all the state resources he was abusing.

"The people of Zambia are aware of the three government helicopters that Mr Rupiah Banda is abusing. Further, to the many government vehicles that he has continuously abused for his campaigns, we are now aware that some of the chiefs who endorsed his candidature have been assigned GRZ vehicles to conduct his campaigns," Hichilema alleged. "Last week in Nakonde, our team impounded a GRZ vehicle which was being abused by MMD cadres and handed the vehicle to the police. We have all the vehicle details."

And addressing a rally at Lukanga ground in Kabwe on Saturday, Hichilema said he would prudently use national resources that the MMD government had been misappropriating to the benefit of all Zambians.

Hichilema said it was sad that people who had failed to create jobs and better Zambians' lives in all the former Republics were now cheating the people to vote for them.

"The problem of lead poisoning had been affecting Kabwe residents for many years now, poor road infrastructure; high levels of unemployment are the order of the day not only in Kabwe but across the country. And now where was ba shikulu ba grandfather Mr Sata who had been in UNIP and MMD for decades?" Hichilema asked.

"The Auditor General's report revealed that the country for the past two years lost K14. 7 trillion due to poor management of resources. If you vote for me, I will use this money to your benefit, to create employment, to make sure that teachers, nurses, doctors and all civil servants are paid well. Don't vote for expired politicians, time for change has come."

In Kapiri Mposhi, Hichilema also held a rally at central ground where an 80-year-old man, Doubt Salum, urged residents never to make a mistake by voting for old politicians.
Salum said old people were only interested in fulfilling their personal unfinished political business.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:38 AM