Maravi

Rupiah threatens those who will not accept his victory

Rupiah threatens those who will not accept his victory
Written by Mwala Kalaluka in Serenje

VICE-President Rupiah Banda yesterday reiterated threats that the arm of the state will effectively deal with any political leader that would cause trouble after this Thursday's presidential election because he is acting president. And retired politician Vernon Mwaanga yesterday said he has no regrets in assuring Vice-President Banda's leadership attributes ahead of the presidential poll.

Meanwhile, some MMD officials, with the help of some security personnel, consistently pushed around some children that were in front of the crowd that came to Vice-President Banda's rally at the National Square in Serenje yesterday.

Addressing a campaign rally in Serenje, Vice-President Banda said it should be known that he was not only president of the MMD but also acting Head of State.

He said he would ensure no political leader disturbed the peace that Zambians enjoy after this Thursday's presidential election.

“I want to assure the people of Zambia, through you the people of Serenje, that do not be afraid. No one is going to stop you from electing the president of your choice. There will be peace in this country on the 30th of October,” Vice-President Banda said. “I want to assure you that no one can take that right from you. No one can cause trouble. The arm of the state will be there to ensure that you express yourself fully.”

Vice-President Banda said he wanted to be the first political leader to renounce violence ahead of Thursday’s polls, and urged MMD members and the opposition to ensure that they conduct their campaigns peacefully.

“I am a president of this country, not just the MMD and I want to assure you that no one will be allowed to disturb the peace of the Zambian people,” he said. “I have come here to ask for your vote, to ask you to vote for me and not to vote for those others who are standing for the same position.”

Vice-President Banda said he did not choose himself to be Vice-President but that he was chosen by the late president Mwanawasa whom he served diligently for two years.

“In this election, you have to relate to somebody that you know…I have been that president that you know. I believe you know me very well,” he said.

“Up-to now as I stand here, I am the acting president of this country. I believe the army know me. I believe the police know me; I am the commander-in-chief of all the defence forces and I am head of the institutions of government. I know the people I will be working with once you elect me.”

He urged the people of Serenje to vote for him so that he could continue the mandate that they gave to the MMD in the last general election and to enable the ruling party have a legacy to campaign on for the 2011 general elections.

“You also know the ruling party, the MMD. You know the programmes that they have put in place to try and improve the condition of life for the people,” Vice-President Banda said. “Therefore, you should be comfortable to vote for its candidate.”

Vice-President Banda claimed that he was the only one that had the biggest obligation and duty to fulfil the promises of the MMD compared to the other presidential candidates.

“During this campaign you have listened, you have read and heard what other candidates have to say and many of them their main target has been me,” he said. “They have written all kind of articles that are not true about me but you have not heard anything from me as Rupiah Banda.”

Vice-President Banda pledged to increase development support to rural areas if voted into office.

“As soon as you elect us, we will increase the money we allocate to the rural areas. How much are we giving as CDF (Constituency Development Fund), George (Kunda)?

Yes, K400 million,” he said. “We are thinking of increasing that so that it can be in billions.”

Vice-President Banda said having noted that the MMD and the other opposition parties that are backing his candidature carried the day in rural areas during the 2006 elections, he was sure that people would vote for MMD in the coming election.

And FDD president Edith Nawakwi said the people of Serenje would not be forgiven if they failed to take the logical and responsible advice that they should vote Vice-President Banda as president.

“I am sure you are pleasantly surprised that the president of FDD is asking you to vote for none other than Rupiah Bwezani Banda,” Nawakwi said as a woman in the crowd shouted in agreement. “This does not mean that we have disbanded our parties. We are just being logical because we want peace…Do you want to go to 1949 when the party was more supreme than the government?”

ULP president Sakwiba Sikota said only Vice-President Banda could, in the current political circumstances, form a national Cabinet, because he had the numbers in parliament. He said the other candidates would just have sectional or regional governments if they were elected into office.

He said the other presidential candidates would not even fulfil the promises they have made to the people of Serenje during the campaign.

And Vernon Mwaanga said the people of Serenje had been dependable allies of the MMD since inception.

“I have come today to ask you the people of Serenje to vote for Mr Rupiah Banda,” he said. “You the people of Serenje have always worked with the government of the day, the party of the day and I am asking you for purposes of continuity to vote for Mr Rupiah Banda. I have known Rupiah Banda for 48 years.

We have been together in government and that is why I can vouch for him to be a good president of this country.”

Central Province MMD chairman Boyd Mutonka said Serenje was a stronghold for MMD and that the party could not lose the election.

But Serenje district PF chairman Martin Chikate said in an interview that the area had been transformed into a PF stronghold.

“As you can see, the MMD have no people in the Boma. They are just ferrying people from everywhere,” he said. “The MMD has completely failed the people around.”

Vice-President Banda later addressed another rally in Mkushi and Kapiri Mposhi and is headed for the Copperbelt today.

Meanwhile, children that went to welcome Vice-President Banda at Serenje airstrip were told to stand behind the elders so that The Post cameras should not capture them.

The children were also told to stand behind elders even during Vice-President Banda's rallies.

An MMD cadre also boasted that their candidate was not travelling in a chartered plane because the MMD was in power.

Labels: ELECTIONS, RUPIAH BANDA, VERNON MWAANGA

posted by MrK @ 10:38 PM