Kabimba demands Kasonso’s resignation

Kabimba demands Kasonso’s resignation
By Patson Chilemba
Tue 03 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba has said Teddy Kasonso’s continued stay in office shows that government’s claims of running a non-partisan civil service is utter nonsense.

Commenting on tourism permanent secretary Kasonso who recently declared that he was affiliated to the MMD and applied to be adopted parliamentary candidate for the ruling party in Solwezi Central, Kabimba said Kasonso should not argue that he could not resign because he was not adopted.

He said the fact that Kasonso applied to be considered as candidate made it very clear that he was a partisan public officer.

“So the pronouncements from MMD that they are running a non-partisan civil service is a lot of nonsense. The truth of the matter is that most senior civil servants, if not all of them have been appointed to those jobs on account that they are supporters of the MMD, and they are affiliated to the MMD,” he said.

Kabimba said this was the reason why the administration of elections was difficult in the nation because people tasked to administer elections were MMD affiliates.
He said President Rupiah Banda as an appointing authority should dismiss Kasonso or the permanent secretary should resign on his own accord.

“There is no way he is going to convince us that he has not been adopted, so he’s not going to be influenced by party affiliations in his day to day activities,” said Kabimba. “Morally, I am appealing to him as an individual to resign. He has put himself in a position where he has to inevitably resign to save his conscience.”

The Republican Constitution states in Article 61. (1): “Subject to the other provisions of this Constitution and any other law, the power to constitute offices for the Republic and the power to abolish any such offices shall vest in the President. Offices for Republic (2) Subject to the other provisions of this Constitution and any other law, the power to appoint persons to hold or act in offices constituted for the Republic of Zambia, to confirm appointments, to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices and to remove any such person from office shall vest in the President.”

Article 65 sub-article 7 states that “(7) A person holding or acting in any post, office of appointment-in the Zambia Defence Force as defined in the Defence Act, the Combined Cadet Force, the Zambia National Service, or any other force or service established for the preservation of security in Zambia; (b) in the Zambia Police Force, the Zambia Police Reserve, the Zambia Security Intelligence Service, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Drug Enforcement Commission, the Zambia Prison Service or in any other force or service established for the preservation of security in Zambia; (c) in the Public Service including an office to which Article 61 applies; (d) in the Teaching Service; (e) in any statutory body or any company or institution in which the Government has any interest; or (f) prescribed in that behalf or under an Act of Parliament; shall not be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly.”