Maravi

Rupiah is blackmailing people of W/Province - Inonge Wina

Rupiah is blackmailing people of W/Province - Inonge Wina
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 05 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) national chairperson Inonge Wina yesterday charged that President Rupiah Banda is blackmailing the people of Western Province over the gifts he has promised to shower on the province.

Commenting on President Banda's recent trip to Western Province where he promised to find money for the Mongu-Kalabo road which was not budgeted for, Wina - who is former Nalolo member of parliament – said President Banda's interest in the province was not genuine, saying he wanted to take some development projects to the area in exchange for the vote in 2011.

“Definitely, the interest in the province is not genuine. The interest is based on what votes he can get or what support he can gain from the Western Province. It is a great pity that the President had no plan or no programme for the province,” Wina said. “The gifts that he is showering to the province are an indication that all he wants from the province are votes for 2011, and definitely this is not sustainable.”

Wina said this was not the first time the MMD was trying to blackmail the people with development projects in order to get the votes.

“We have seen it. We have heard statements made by prominent MMD officials during the time of the elections and by-elections, that 'if you do not vote for a certain candidate of MMD, you will not see development in your area.' That definitely is tantamount to blackmailing. During the 2006 elections, people in Western Province were told that 'if you do not vote for an MMD councillor, an MMD MP, an MMD president, you will never see the fruits of development in your area,'” Wina said.

“It is one of the reasons why there was a bigger vote from that area because people have not been sensitised to know their rights and to sometimes dismiss some of these pronouncements. So definitely, this President Banda's recent promises is blackmailing the people.”

Wina said the people of Western Province wanted development but not in the manner President Banda was going about it. She said President Banda needed to think twice about development, not only in Western Province but in the nation generally.

“I was saying that we want our people in the Western Province to have food, but not food given in this manner where they have to protest, where they have to exchange unpalatable words with the leaders,” said Wina. “I insist that we need to put into place sustainable programmes that will address the issues of food shortages and development in general.”

President Banda recently promised to develop the much talked about Mongu-Kalabo road.
This followed the recent fallout he had with the dissolved MMD Western Province committee who demanded that the road to be worked.

The President also had a fallout with the Litunga after several of his officials blamed Simasiku Namakando-led Western Province committee of working with the Litunga against the party.

Labels: INONGE WINA, PF-UPND, RUPIAH BANDA, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 4:21 AM