Rupiah does not take advice, says Lubinda

Rupiah does not take advice, says Lubinda
Written by Lambwe Kachali and Kabanda Chulu
Monday, December 29, 2008 1:09:30 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is inadvisable and advising him is a waste of time, Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda said yesterday.

Reacting to Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe who said that opposition political leaders that do not rally behind President Rupiah Banda are irrelevant and challenged them to provide solutions to the difficulties being faced by Zambians, Lubinda wondered what more advice President Banda required.

Lubinda said Munkombwe was defending President Banda's failures because they were both 'boys' from the same school of thought and Unipists.

He said President Banda and the MMD government had continued to ignore stakeholders' advice and ideas for a long time now.

"How much advice does Rupiah need to realise that MMD is running a blotted Cabinet? How much advice does Rupiah need to realise that going to Mfuwe with his entire clan for a holiday is a cost on taxpayers' money and will have an effect on the economy? How much advice does he need for him to realise that having two ministers of agriculture, two deputy ministers and two permanent secretaries in some ministries is a cost on taxpayer's money?" Lubinda asked. "Rupiah has appointed Vernon Mwaanga as Chief Whip contrary to his predecessor [late president Levy Mwanawasa] who appointed a cabinet minister as Chief Whip to save money. Vernon is a back-door minister collecting taxpayer's money without contributing anything to this country."

He said if President Banda could not see faults in his deeds, it would be a waste of time giving him further advice.

Lubinda also said it was wrong for Munkombwe to compare the United States and British politics to those in Zambia because the degree of transparency differed.

"In the US and Britain, people there have a lot of confidence in the electoral system. Here, up to now, PF still doubts Rupiah's presidency. Munkombwe is also talking about the global economic crisis that he doesn't even understand. Let him stop whacking on things he does not understand. We know that Munkombwe is practising politics of eating, of survival, so it's better he continues eating with his master rather than confusing people on the financial phenomenon he doesn't comprehend," Lubinda charged. "PF will give advice only when we are convinced that Rupiah will use it, and by so doing we will not lose sight of the role of the opposition.

And Lubinda urged Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa to go ahead and declare vacant the 17 seats held by the 'rebel' PF members of parliament, since the party had not been served with any court document.

Lubinda was reacting to Luapula member of parliament Peter Machungwa's statement that he and 16 others were still legitimate PF parliamentarians because they had filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court against a High Court ruling.

He said that nothing would stop the party from asking the Speaker to declare the 17 seats vacant because no court order had been served.

"Machungwa and his ‘rebel’ MPs are just making false statements to win sympathy from people and we have just read about their intentions to file a notice of appeal but as of today (Saturday), the party secretariat has not been served with any court documents and we are requesting the Speaker to go ahead and declare the seats vacant," Lubinda said.

He said the affected members of parliament had remained unrepentant and were indisciplined, thereby leaving no room for reconciliation.

Lubinda also suggested that the most logical way to handle the 'impending' by-elections was to let the PF go unopposed in order to reduce on costs.

"All parties, including the MMD, should not contest and PF should be declared unopposed because these are our seats and we should appoint MPs until the next general elections. This will save costs and it is the most logical way of handling this matter," said Lubinda.

But chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha said the government could not impose Lubinda's suggestion on the Zambian people because it was not democratic.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha said it was not possible because the PF's suggestion could not work in a multi-party democratic system.

"And also, there is need for the PF leadership to be honest, sincere and consistent in what they do because when we proposed that the MMD candidate should have taken over and continued after the death of President Mwanawasa. PF leader Sata was in the forefront insisting that people should be allowed to contest and we held elections at a great cost to this nation."

He said Sata and his party leadership should not be double tongued by suggesting measures which government could apply to cut down on costs but on the other hand wanted to cause unnecessary by-elections.

"We have heard some cost- reduction measures from Sata, which is good but he should also consider that these by-elections are costly and the way forward is for them to reconcile since reconciliation did not end with late President Mwanawasa but even within the PF itself it should be done," said Lt. Gen Shikapwasha. "Besides, Sata and PF will not die if they reconcile and can live with this decision until 2011 so that we can avoid spending billions of kwacha."