Maravi

Chiluba may not get his reward from Rupiah

Chiluba may not get his reward from Rupiah
Written by Noel Sichalwe
Thursday, November 06, 2008 4:56:57 PM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday pleaded ignorance that former president Frederick Chiluba assisted to campaign for his presidency.

Answering questions from journalists after taking his official portrait at Zambia News Information Service (ZANIS) at Mass Media Complex in Lusaka, President Banda claimed he was not aware that Chiluba campaigned for him.

Journalists sought to find out whether President Banda would drop Chiluba's corruption charges after he campaigned for him [President Banda] in last week's elections.

"I don't know about that. There were millions of people all over the country who were campaigning for me. I don't know particularly about Dr Chiluba, I wasn't there. I just read in the paper that he said something; he went around like you did of course and many others. I just say thank you for everybody who campaigned for me," President Banda said.

During the campaign period, Chiluba had gone to Luapula Province to campaign for President Banda. However, President Banda lost the election in the province, even in Chiluba's home village of Musangu.

On Tuesday last week, Chiluba revealed that he supports a party depending on what it promises him.

Featuring on Radio Yangeni in Mansa, Chiluba, who had endorsed then Vice-President Banda in the presidential election, wondered why the PF and its leader were calling him a leader were calling him a thief when in fact, in 2006 when he supported Michael Sata's presidential candidature, he was a hero among PF supporters.

"If I haven't stated any support for anybody they will either insult, when I supported them they called me an angel, when I don't, I become a thief. You expect it," said Chiluba during a programme that started with MMD presidential candidate Vice-President Rupiah Banda's campaign sigtune. "But this is why I want to speak. The Lord blessed me with some learning in political science and I know that Thomas Hobbes, one of the political philosophers, said: 'politics is about self preservation'. Every human being wants to be sure that they will be protected. They can't form any law for one individual person, there must be a law, which covers and protects everybody. Self-preservation is very important."

And President Banda also said Patriotic Front (PF) president Sata was entitled to challenge his election. He said the law provided for him to petition the results of the elections if he was not happy with the outcome.

During his inauguration on Sunday, President Banda extended the hand of friendship to opposition leaders, including Sata. President Banda said he was ready to work with the opposition party leaders because he didn't intend to lead a divided nation.

However, Sata has rejected the hand of friendship, arguing that the elections were fraudulent. He has since instructed his lawyers to petition the elections.

And President Banda yesterday said there was still time ahead of him to form a new Cabinet. He said he would be travelling to South Africa to attend the emergency SADC summit on Saturday and that he would think about the new Cabinet after returning home.

He said many ministers had been out of office for a long time and that there were a lot of things that needed to be done. He said Cabinet sat yesterday morning and that he had told ministers to continue working as usual.

President Banda also congratulated newly-elected United States President-elect Barack Obama for his victory. President Banda said he was interested to listen to President-elect Obama's inaugural speech.

"That is the 44th President of the United States and we are only fourth. I was very much interested to listen to his inaugural speech. I am glad that I made mine before his otherwise you could have thought that I copied from him. It was a lovely, lovely election," said President Banda.

Labels: CHILUBA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:58 PM