Maravi

PF,UPND to hold talks

PF,UPND to hold talks
Written by George Chellah
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:57:22 PM

THE Patriotic Front (PF) and UPND have initiated talks to explore possibilities of working together on national issues ahead of the 2011 general elections.
And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said the time for unity of purpose was now.

Meanwhile, Hichilema said the MMD is rotten with corruption and that the nation is currently witnessing a superficial fight against corruption. PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba confirmed the initiated talks between the two opposition political parties.

"Our meeting is unconditional. We are not going there with any demands neither are we expecting any demands from UPND. We are simply meeting to explore possibilities of working together firstly on national issues but obviously drifting towards 2011. We want the talks to culminate in a strong relationship where we should work together on national issues as we drift towards 2011," he said.

He said the meeting was most likely to take place this Thursday.

"They wanted it today (Tuesday) but some of our members in the delegation are coming from the Copperbelt province so we want to give them an opportunity to attend as well," Kabimba said.

And according to Kabimba's letter to the UPND secretary general dated June 1, 2009, the PF delegation for the PF/UPND consultative meeting would comprise himself, party president Michael Sata, vice president Dr Guy Scott, party spokesperson Given Lubinda, Edgar Lungu, Wilbur Simuusa (Nchanga member of parliament), Jean Kapata (Mandevu member of parliament), Dr Chileshe Mulenga and Esther Banda (Chililabombwe member of parliament).

And Hichilema said time for unity of purpose was now.

"The MMD has ravaged this country, it has institutionalized corruption. I have always called for unity of purpose. We have so many things in common than the things that divide us. Political parties need each other we are one people, one body in Christ," he said.

Hichilema said UPND had always been committed to unity of purpose.

"No one can exist at the expense of another. We all have to work together. We only have one target to work against and that's the MMD and their surrogate parties. You know them, those that were carrying mineral water for Rupiah on the plane during the last campaigns," Hichilema said. "They are the only people to work against and the rest of us we must all come together to remove MMD and run the country better. Fight corruption and all that the MMD has brought to us."

Hichilema said UPND wanted a well-meaning discussion.

He said the party spokesperson would soon issue a comprehensive statement about the meeting.

And during Radio Phoenix's Let the people talk programme on Thursday, Hichilema wondered why RP Capital Partners of Cayman Islands was allowed to proceed with the evaluation of Zamtel.

"Some minister called Mubika Mubika here is saying that RP Capital Partners have submitted a good report. You can't engage RP Capital Partners corruptly and you proceed with getting RP Capital Partners to do the work even against the cries of the people of Zambia. The Public Procurement Act, I have a copy here let me tell you one clause. That clause it is clause two, the RP Capital Partners deal was done without the approval of the Attorney General," Hichilema explained. "Let me read from this Public Procurement Act, which I have condemned, many Zambians know that. This is one act, which the government is using to steal money from the taxpayer. Any agreement that is purportedly to be entered without the approval of the Attorney General is null and void. This is clause two of the Act, Zambia Public Procurement Act of 2009. RP Capital Partners had no approval of the Attorney General that has been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

"The Minister made a mistake, the work has continued, why did that contract get given? Because the board was dissolved, this is the tragedy of this country. The board was removed in Zamtel, RP Capital Partners was engaged against procurement procedures, single sourcing. And on limited bidding, the same act says that limited bidding would only apply where there are no competitors. Can you say there was no competition in Zamtel? Limited single sourcing was done corruptly beyond reasonable doubt."

He said the MMD government was murdering Zambians through corruption.

"The Auditor General has established that it is not K10 billion, it is K27 billion, that's a hell lot of money. Let's do a quick simulation, if you say in 20 ministries only K30 billion is taken through corrupt activities, it means K600 billion is gone because when the Auditor General audits and am talking from knowledge here. Am not talking like some MMD minister who makes noise every day, they just yap," Hichilema said. "When the Auditor General does an audit they don't do what is called a 100 per cent audit they do a sample. Which means picking only a few items here and there. This means that when they pick up the figures of corruption you can multiply those by 20, most likely you will be getting closer to the figure. That is why we come out with a figure of K600 billion in the example of Ministry of Health."

He said the whole government system was rotten.

"This is why somebody said to me, "what do you do to this situation of corruption?" I said amputate the MMD, take the MMD out of government because you cannot treat it. The cancer has spread to the whole body called MMD and when you tell them to run the country, they will spread this cancer to 12 million Zambians," Hichilema said.

He said UPND would fight corruption in a very serious manner.

"That's why we say we miss Levy Mwanawasa because corruption was there but he gave it a fighting spirit, which we don't see today. What we see today is superficial and a fight where there is no vested interest, it will be a serious fight. If there is vested interest it will be camouflaged, it will be hidden. We don't want that in our country," said Hichilema.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF, SATA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 11:00 PM