Maravi

Rupiah was unpresidential over Dora – Hasungule

Rupiah was unpresidential over Dora – Hasungule
Written by Maluba Jere in Livingstone
Monday, April 27, 2009 3:25:37 PM

IT is unpresidential for President Rupiah Banda to support Dora Siliya even after being found guilty of breaching the Constitution in her involvement in the RP Capital deal, University of Pretoria human rights law professor Michelo Hansungule has said. And Prof Hansungule has advised lawyers to uphold the truth because the community holds them in high esteem.

In an interview at the just- ended Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) annual general meeting in Livingstone, Prof Hansungule said President Banda should not have rushed to support former transport and communications minister, Siliya, because the public had a right to demand accountability from their leaders.

“His response was unpresidential, a President does not try to jump to conclusions, he should have waited for the final outcome,” he said. “The public has a right to demand accountability from the President and his ministers, so they were right in demanding an explanation from the public officials. The president cannot come from behind to provide evidence that was not before the tribunal that the minister was misled by the Attorney General’s chambers, the tribunal did not say that in its findings.”

Prof Hansungule said President Banda should have dismissed Siliya and not allowed her to resign.

“Her resignation means that she will go with benefits because she has not been subjected to disciplinary action,” he said. “It also means that the President has refused to act based on the tribunal findings. This means no action has been taken because Siliya should have been dismissed and not her resigning.”

And Prof Hansungule said LAZ is an important association which should uphold the truth at all times. He said LAZ played an important role in guiding society on a number of issues such as democratisation.

“Yesterday [Friday] when I addressed the lawyers, I expressed disappointment that when lawyers go into politics, they vacillate, they change and that is not how they are supposed to behave,” Prof Hansungule said. “They should remain lawyers because of the trust the community has in them, they are held in high esteem.”

He also urged the executive of the LAZ to be exemplary and inspire people to take up leadership roles in society.

“The leadership of LAZ is a critical component of democratisation and it is important that that leadership is exemplary,” said Prof Hansungule.

Labels: DORA SILIYA, MICHELO HASUNGULE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:27 PM