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MMD will fight hard for Kasama Central, says Rupiah

MMD will fight hard for Kasama Central, says Rupiah
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Kasama
Saturday, August 22, 2009 6:00:52 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday declared that the MMD will fight hard for Kasama Central Constituency because the Patriotic Front (PF) had failed the constituency.And Northern Province MMD chairperson Griever Sikasote revealed that the party in the province will petition the party's national executive committee (NEC) to postpone the MMD national convention until after the 2011 general elections.

Meanwhile, President Banda has urged civil servants to wear the MMD attire in their homes.

Addressing MMD members and government officials at Kasama airport, President Banda said the PF had failed the people of Kasama Central Constituency.

"I want to thank our party workers, please and ask you to be ready for the forthcoming by-election. The people of Kasama gave the parliamentary seat to the PF and the PF has refused it; they have resigned, they have said they have failed so it is our chance now to speak to all the people of this province particularly here in Kasama where the by-election will take place," President Banda said. "I don't want to hear that our leaders are shy to speak to everyone. You must speak to the household, house-to-house. You must speak to the marketeers, you must speak to the vendors, the people in the shops, you must speak to the teachers, you must speak to the policemen, you must speak to the civil servants. Everyone you see has an influence in ensuring that we win this election and I am publicly asking everyone to help us in this because we have programmes which we want to carry out here in Kasama and it will be easier if you gave us the candidate for MP for Kasama to the ruling party."

He observed that during elections everybody wanted to contest even when they did not have developmental programmes for the constituency.

"You see when you are going for the elections, everybody wants to stand and everybody wants to make promises [but] they don't want to answer the question. The question is: 'how are you going to deliver development to the people of Kasama?' They don't want to answer that question because they cannot answer it," President Banda said. "Only the candidate for this party, which is the ruling party, it is a ruling party because all the people of Zambia chose that the MMD will constitute the government of this country until 2011. Only the candidate of MMD can tell you the truth about development. Only him or her can say to you, 'we shall continue building schools for you, we will continue to fix your roads, we shall continue to supply fertiliser, we shall continue to do this and that for you' because he knows that he can do it."

He urged the MMD to start campaigns immediately.

"So we will be coming back to you as soon as the Electoral Commission [of Zambia] announces the date for the elections but I just wanted to say to you that we are coming, we are going to fight very hard. I like one of the songs that says, 'Banda witina [Banda don't fear]. Banda tatina. [Banda does not fear]'. Perhaps you have forgotten that I am a Ngoni and I look down upon cowards," President Banda said. "I would like to cross the whole of Kasama in blue; if we can afford it, our party can afford it, we would like to see everyone, our children, if you are a civil servant, you can wear it on your head in your house. The public of course they might say you are civil servant don't wear it but blue is a beautiful colour and our chitenje is a lovely chitenje. I would like to see the whole of Kasama blue. It's a royal blue."

President Banda also assured the people here that the government would buy all their maize.

He urged maize buyers to be dedicated and ensure that they pay the farmers on time.

"We are going to buy all the crops from our farmers. I think the honourable minister of agriculture is with us. Honourable [minister of agriculture Brian] Chituwo has witnessed to this announcement; they are making frantic arrangements to ensure that money is made available to buy the crops from our hard working farmers here in the province," President Banda said. "I just wanted to assure you about the purchase of maize. Let me ask those of us who are involved in this purchase of the maize, please let's be dedicated to our people. I feel very sad when I hear that farmers have come and they have given their maize and they are not attended to quickly. For all of us who are working in that sector let's show devotion and care for the farmers and make sure that as soon as the money arrives we pay them, let them go back and prepare themselves for the next season."

President Banda said the Northern Province had been a role model even before independence.

Meanwhile, Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) reported that President Banda said he had not yet considered restoring former president Frederick Chiluba's immunity.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka shortly before departure for Kasama for a two-day working visit, President Banda said Chiluba was free to seek legal redress just like any other person.

President Banda said he respects the Judiciary, Parliament and the Executive because the separation of powers made government and the country a peaceful nation.

Chiluba's lawyers have asked Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa to consider the restoration of his immunity because he had been cleared by the courts of law.

This follows the decision by Ndola High Court deputy registrar Jones Chinyama last Monday to acquit Chiluba of corruption charges.

Earlier in Kasama, Sikasote assured President Banda that the party in the province had endorsed him as the sole candidate for the MMD presidency and presidential candidate in 2011.

"The MMD in the province will this week petition MMD NEC to postpone the MMD national convention until after the 2011 general election," Sikasote said.

Sikasote said President Banda had the potential to make the MMD win the 2011 presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.

Sikasote said the MMD was confident to win the Kasama Central parliamentary by-election.

MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga said so far Southern Central and now Northern Province had petitioned NEC to postpone the MMD convention.

Mabenga, who is also lands deputy minister, said once the number of provinces petitioning the NEC to postpone the convention reaches six, then the NEC would oblige with the members’ decision and would postpone the convention.

Northern Province minister John Chinyanta asked the government to help resolve the problems of Kateshi Coffee Plantation, which is under receivership.

Chinyanta said the coffee plantation at its peak used to have 3,000 employment places and he hoped the government would quickly help revamp the institution.

Labels: KASAMA, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:02 AM