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Rupiah is taking Zambia back to old UNIP days, says Chishimba

Rupiah is taking Zambia back to old UNIP days, says Chishimba
Written by Patson Chilemba

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is taking the country back to the old UNIP days of dictatorship by ordering the Army to maintain law and order instead of police, Kasama Central Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Saviour Chishimba has said.

In an interview, Chishimba, who endorsed the candidature of President Banda prior to the just-ended presidential election, said the President was leading the country on the dangerous path of dictatorship.

"How do you appeal to the Army to maintain law and order? He should not take back the country to the old UNIP days of dictatorship where the Army maintains law and order. It's the police which maintains law and order," he said.

Chishimba said he was deeply disappointed with President Banda's recent moves.

He said apart from the attempt to take the country back to dictatorship, President Banda had failed to do away with the past by appointing recycled politicians such as Vernon Mwaanga.

"Almost everyone [Cabinet ministers], they are rejected metals. All of them except for young people like [Gabriel] Namulambe, at least they are new in politics. People like [Ronald] Mukuma, they are level headed. Now the rest, the Mwaangas, the Situmbekos, what do they represent for this country?" he asked.

Chishimba said President Banda did not represent the future.

Asked why he endorsed President Banda if he knew the President did not represent the future, Chishimba said he did so because supporting PF would have been more catastrophic.

"Because you have a man [Sata] who appoints everyone. In terms of governance, PF has not put its house in order," Chishimba said. "It's like when you have a Tsunami and a Katrina, which one is worse?"

Chishimba said his mere endorsement of President Banda did not mean that he supported the President.

He said he supported PF policies but had problems with the leadership of the party.

"When I endorsed Rupiah Banda, I said ‘fellow Zambians 'this is a mock election. Let's begin to prepare adequately for a new beginning. A beginning that will usher in a new era.' The current system we are in cannot be solved by [President] Banda because he's in the manual era. This is digital era," Chishimba said.

Asked why he did not endorse UPND president Hakainde Hichilema who is a young man, Chishimba said although he held fruitful talks with Hichilema, he [Chishimba] was a realist.

He said Hichilema had not adequately reached out to the nation.

Chishimba said according to what was obtaining on the ground, Hichilema stood no chance of winning the election.

And Chishimba said well-wishers had promised to contribute US$2 million towards the PF general conference.

He challenged the party leadership to call for a general conference before March next year.

"Should they fail, the next strategy will be to call for a general conference with other members who are progressive," said Chishimba.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, SAVIOUR CHISHIMBA, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 6:39 AM