Maravi

Stop panicking over pact, Sata tells MMD

Stop panicking over pact, Sata tells MMD
Written by Patson Chilemba
Friday, July 03, 2009 3:26:31 PM

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has asked Vice-President George Kunda and his friends in the MMD to stop panicking over the PF-UPND pact if they have any belief in their party. In an interview on Wednesday, Sata said the panic emerging from the MMD over the PF-UPND pact was very alarming and people like President Rupiah Banda, Vice-President Kunda and several MMD officials were now more preoccupied with talking about the pact than addressing the many problems that had blighted the nation.

He said the question of who would be adopted presidential candidate for the pact in the 2011 general elections should not be President Banda or Vice-President Kunda's concern.

"I heard George Kunda talking about the pact that Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema are too ambitious for the presidency and they will fail to come up with a president, and that because of that they are going to split. But is it not George Kunda's boss who was telling us recently that we were focusing on the MMD presidency as if we are MMD members?" Sata asked. "So why is George Kunda preoccupied with talking about the president for the pact? If he is saying that we shall have elections next month, we shall convene quickly and choose a president. Why is George Kunda panicking? They should not panic if they still have belief in their party. He [Vice-President Kunda] should wait until we appoint him our party spokesperson because at the moment he doesn't qualify."

Sata said PF and UPND were moving systematically and the concern now was to develop trust between the two parties.

He said the presidency of the pact would be addressed later.

Sata said he was in good health and those trying to use his health to campaign against him were just wasting their time.

"The MMD used that and it cost them 338,000 votes. So whoever uses that it will cost them the elections," said Sata.

Vice-President Kunda on Wednesday said the pact between PF and UPND could not last because both Sata and Hichilema were ambitious for the presidency and that they would eventually fail to agree on who leads the pact during the elections - thus leading to a split.

Labels: MMD, PF, SATA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 2:27 PM