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Lifuka accuses Rupiah of demagoguery over Chiluba’s acquittal

Lifuka accuses Rupiah of demagoguery over Chiluba’s acquittal
Written by George Chellah
Monday, October 19, 2009 7:07:37 AM

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka yesterday described President Rupiah Banda’s remarks on former president Frederick Chiluba’s acquittal as a classical exhibition of political demagoguery. And Lifuka said President Banda and his Cabinet should be reminded that Chiluba’s acquittal is a ‘millstone around their neck’.

Reacting to President Banda’s statement on Chiluba's acquittal during a closed-door meeting in Kasama last Sunday, Lifuka expressed dissatisfaction with President Banda’s utterance in Kasama.

“Transparency International Zambia, would like to remind President Rupiah Banda that the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba will continue to be controversial as long as there is no appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions or indeed a plausible explanation pertaining to the decision taken not to appeal,” Lifuka said. “This issue is the 'elephant in a glass house' and it will simply not go away through such classical exhibitions of political demagoguery.”

He said TIZ finds the explanation by President Banda on the dilemma he would have faced if Chiluba had been jailed, to be self-serving.

“And an unfortunate confirmation that Zambia has two sets of citizens and an opaque justice system which shamelessly favours VIPs, the rich and the politically connected. Deducing from the President's own statement, this class of Zambians cannot suffer the indignity like that of ordinary Zambians who languish in poor and overcrowded prisons,” Lifuka said.

“This is despite the fact that Dr Chiluba - failed to make similar considerations when he had the founding President of Zambia – Dr Kenneth Kaunda detained in the same facilities, which suddenly are not conducive for a former president.”

“This is a dangerous statement coming from the Republican President and its significance should not be lost on the Zambians. Further, the President in his statement has rather inelegantly confirmed his Cabinet's role in securing the acquittal for Dr Chiluba and it explains in more ways than one - the developments that have taken place including the firing of Mr Max Nkole from his position as well as the refusal by the DPP to appeal against the acquittal.”

He said Chiluba may have done wonderful things for the Zambians but that was expected of him.

“He assumed office on the back of a lot of promises to the people and he had no choice but to deliver. The discussion of what the former President did or did not do is extraneous to the issue at hand. Surely, the good works of Dr Chiluba are not mitigation for the allegations of corruption,” Lifuka said.

“The issue at hand is the appeal process, which this government considers to be an abomination. The government, through their actions and statements have made this issue political. It is indisputable that government has poorly managed the aftermath of the acquittal of Dr Chiluba. It is inconsiderate statements like the one made by President Banda, which continue to make the blood of many Zambians to boil.”

He said President Banda and his Cabinet should be reminded that the acquittal of Chiluba is a "millstone around their neck".

“It is pointless for them to pretend that it is not affecting the international and regional standing of the country. Questions continue to be asked by both young and old about this case and the Zambian people have ears and eyes - they may appear quiet or docile but this is an issue that will remain a burn on their hearts,” Lifuka said.

“This issue is already causing serious divisions and disunity among the people and yet statements from our leaders fail to recognise this fact. Yes, the Banda administration with ample hubris may get away with not appealing against this acquittal but this is one issue that the Zambian people will not forget in a hurry and it will haunt the leaders even in the sunset of their lives.

“One day, the people themselves or their God in heaven, shall hold these leaders to account. Today, they can hide behind the facade of power and threaten all of us who are opposed to this caricature of justice, with arrest or physical harm but this will not disinfect the stench of injustice. For President Banda and his administration, they should know that –‘it is difficult to stop the rooster from crowing when it is daylight.’”

Last Sunday, President Banda said Chiluba's acquittal had brought relief to the nation. President Banda said jailing Chiluba would have brought a lot of complications to his government.

Labels: CHILUBA, REUBEN LIFUKA, RUPIAH BANDA, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 6:08 AM