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Adopting Rupiah for 2011 will be suicidal – Mpombo

Adopting Rupiah for 2011 will be suicidal – Mpombo
Written by Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 5:00:03 AM

FORMER defence minister George Mpombo has charged that it will be suicidal for the MMD to adopt President Rupiah Banda for the 2011 general election. Featuring on QFM on Monday, Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said President Banda had failed to do anything dramatic to justify improvement in MMD's political fortunes.

Asked by the interviewer if there might be a calamity in terms of results if MMD went with President Banda's candidature for 2011, Mpombo responded: "I would say yes. There is nothing dramatic that President Banda has done to justify the change or improvement in our political fortunes. So, you know, if we insist on President Banda, we will be signing our death sentence. I don't think President Banda has got what it takes to win the next general elections."

Mpombo said the MMD stood with one foot in the grave unless they put their act together and improved the leadership of the party.

"Unless we change direction of our leadership, we are bound to get into a crisis," he said.

Mpombo said the manner in which President Banda was managing issues especially that MMD campaigned on the continuation of late president Levy Mwanawasa's legacy was very frustrating.

He said it was disappointing that President Banda was going in a different direction altogether.

"You see, what has happened like I said, president Mwanawasa had his own vision, and President Banda has started his legacy, and RP [Capital] has become the cornerstone of his legacy," Mpombo said. "I will give you an example, [former British Prime Minister] Tony Blair left office with three years to go, [Gordon] Brown continued with the legacy left by Blair. What Rupiah Banda has done is to dismantle the legacy that his colleague left behind. You go into foreign service, he recalls everyone appointed by his predecessor and will hire even bogus image builders to do all these kind of funny things."

Mpombo said President Banda had his own agenda and vision which unfortunately undermined the credibility of the life of MMD.

"If Mr Rupiah continues behaving in the manner he is doing, MMD is going to face the biggest political Armageddon. It's going to be problems, if you are going to challenge the people at all times, the consequences are too ghastly to contemplate because you as a leader, you are a servant of the people," Mpombo said. "It is not always that you should be daring people. Sometimes you must say ‘sorry, we took a wrong turn, but we are human beings, let's sit down and see the way forward'"

Mpombo said he was not bitter but resigned because he could not agree with President Banda's style of leadership.

He said it was like "the guy [President Banda]" had not worked in government before.

Mpombo said he was one of those who campaigned hard for President Banda during last year's presidential elections.

He said the biggest problem in MMD was narrowness of perception where those who stood up to their views were perceived as enemies.

"Mr Banda has got a clique of so-called, there is a clique of politicians in NEC [national executive committee] and he works through them. And even before NEC meetings, he will pass his agenda through this clique of people," Mpombo said. "Look at how he pounced on [former finance minister Ng'andu] Magande. Magande's crime was to stand against him, and the next thing was Magande sorted out, and then we had Sylvia Masebo not even considered for anything."

Mpombo said those who were championing the postponement of the convention knew that they would not retain their positions if challenged.

He said this was a very serious indictment against President Banda's leadership.

"You manipulate the situation, you send forms to the provinces to sign and then they come to Lusaka, and then you say they are from the people, because even if people wanted to do anything, the President as a custodian of the constitution, he would have said ‘no guys, this is wrong. This is not acceptable. Our party is ABC'," Mpombo said. "Some narrow minds have come up to say ‘you must show us what you have done'. That is not the essence. What you do the moment you buy a card, a political card, you become a member of the party. You have the right to stand as a candidate. A lot of things are not going well in the party."

Mpombo said there was a leadership in the MMD that behaved in a treasonable manner by trying to avoid a convention as stipulated by the constitution.

He said it was very shameful in this era of democracy for one to demand to be ordained as a sole candidate.

Mpombo said this appraoch had created problems in Africa because there were people who wanted to cling to power.

He said although power was sweet, the interests of the party and the country should be prioritised more than personal desires.

Mpombo warned that if President Banda wanted to go down in history as one who single-handedly destroyed MMD, people would doubt his intentions of joining the party.

"Because even at personal level, it's shameful to demand that ‘I should be coronated as president of the party'. If you can fear to go to a party convention, a small group, what more when you go to the national polls?" Mpombo asked. "Ordinary people are quite upset about the whole thing. They know it's just a manipulation. Somebody wants to play on their minds. They are very crossed about the whole thing. So this [push to hold a convention] is not a minority issue, we will not allow them to achieve that narrow agenda of destroying the party."

Mpombo said he would next week write to South African President Jacob Zuma and other heads of state in the SADC region to bring to their attention "this unfolding democratic embarrassment" in MMD.

He said SADC had earned itself a good name in terms of advocating for democratic practices in the member countries and would not want to see what was happening in the MMD.

"This development in Zambia is a total embarrassment," Mpombo said. "We have seen a clique of people, they are trying to destroy democratic practices that have been here. For instance, Mr Rupiah Banda came here in 2002; why does he want us to do things that have not happened since 1991 to today. Why should we follow his ideas? Why should Mr Rupiah Banda introduce his funny ideas of dictatorship?"

Mpombo said nobody could expel him from the party, saying those who were trying to create tension in the party should be the ones to go.

He said they would not be allowed to impose their narrow and parochial politics in MMD.

Mpombo said only the convention had the mandate to choose a presidential candidate and at the moment, the MMD had no president because President Banda was just acting.

He said failing to go to the convention would spell the beginning of the end for the MMD.

Mpombo said the fight for democracy should be treated as a moral equivalent to war and it should not be taken lightly.

On the country's foreign policy, Mpombo said the foreign policy was now in tatters and was not as aggressive as it was during president Mwanawasa's tenure.

He said Zambia became accepted internationally unlike the current situation where leaders from Western countries were by-passing the country.

Mpombo said it was wrong for some politicians to suggest that donors should keep quiet over issues that were happening in the country.

He said the country managed to attain high benchmarks, the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point and good governance ratings because of the help of donors who were partners in development.

Mpombo said the country also witnessed an inflow in foreign investment.

"But today we have nothing. And I want to appeal to my colleagues, let's not antagonise the donor community. You have seen in Africa countries that had problems with the donor community like Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was reduced to dust," Mpombo said. "We need donors to sustain our programmes in the health sector. We as leaders, we can go to private doctors, but ordinary people in Kawambwa, once there are no medicines they will be dying in their homes. It's not a question of saying they are interfering."

On the manoeuvres to include the degree clause in the Republican Constitution for one to be President, Mpombo said people should be given the opportunity to participate in the political life of the country.

He said leadership was God-given and people should be allowed to elect a person of their choice.

When asked whether he smelled a rat in the sale of 75 per cent shares in Zamtel, Mpombo said he smelt a corruption rat.

He said President Banda appointed a ministerial committee which did not include members from the grassroots and the business community.

He said the same ministerial committee was expected to report to the appointing authority, who would in turn chair Cabinet meetings at which the same issues were discussed.

"Obviously the whole thing is compromised. So what we are saying even the ZPA, it's just a ploy to legitimise an illegality. This is a total illegality. And also if you look at these issues, why do we go for 75 per cent? Because even international trade or whatever, the mode of entering into international business, you start with partnership, maybe 50-50. Why have we gone to 75 per cent right away?" Mpombo asked. "Absolutely, absolutely. This is what I am saying, and I am saying President Rupiah Banda, his legacy, the first cornerstone is on RP Capital. So these are issues that must be challenged at all cost. Even ZPA has chosen RP Capital as the only financial consultant, when did they put out that tender? Which other companies tendered for that? Why only RP? The nation must know. This kind of leadership can plunge this country into crisis."

Mpombo said when one was in leadership, it was not the time to make a big "reap-off".

He said leaders should respect the country's resources because Zamtel was a strategic company.

"If these guys they are going to get 75 per cent, if they mess it up, that is the end of the story. If it was 50-50 or 50-49, government will say ‘you guys have failed. Get out'," said Mpombo. "It's incredible. You have never heard of this kind of arrangement where foreigners get 75 per cent and then government remains with 25 per cent. Why are we moving at concord speed to achieve this programme?"

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD, PRESIDENCY, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:00 AM