Maravi

Rupiah was elected to prove his own capabilities, says Kaande

Rupiah was elected to prove his own capabilities, says Kaande
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 19 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT

MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande yesterday said President Rupiah Banda was elected to prove his own capabilities and not those of other people.

And Kaande said chairperson of the dissolved Western Province MMD executive committee Simasiku Namakando is not a member of the MMD, pouring further scorn on the recent reconciliation between President Banda and the executive committee.

In an interview following former gender minister Patricia Mulasikwanda's remarks that President Banda should stop talking about late president Mwanawasa's legacy because he had failed to uphold it, Kaande said President Banda was elected to serve the country through the best of his ability.
“Once you are elected as President, you are elected, it is up to you to prove to people your capabilities; not another person's capabilities,” he said.
Asked if he implied that President Banda would rather come up with his own vision than following that of president Mwanawasa, Kaande responded: “I'm not saying that, I am not saying that. That is not what I am saying. Don't put words in my mouth.”

But when pressed further to clarify what he had said, Kaande responded: “You analyze it, what do I mean? Because I put a vote for President Banda, I did not put a vote for anybody else. If you voted for President Banda, you voted for President Banda on principle because you wanted him to be President. I was not voting for two people, I was voting for one person. I don't care what the other people say, whether they want him to follow other people's beliefs that is another thing. But I voted for President Banda to be President, and to lead this country through the best of his ability.”

When asked why President Banda campaigned using president Mwanawasa's legacy, Kaande responded: “You interview the President, don't interview me on that please. I am not his spokesperson.”

Kaande asked Mulasikwanda to resign from the MMD and go back to UNIP if she was not satisfied with the manner the party was handling its affairs.

On Friday, Mulasikwanda said President Banda had failed to uphold president Mwanwasa's legacy because people who the late president trusted like Sylvia Masebo and Ng'andu Magande, whom she described as icons, could not have been fired.
She asked President Banda to allow himself to be challenged fairly at the convention.

On Namakando's assertions that President Banda risked losing at the convention if he continued surrounding himself with people like Kaande, Kaande said President Banda would win whether Namakando liked it or not.
He said Namakando was not a member of MMD.

“He took us to court, and our regulations are very clear. If you take the party to court, then you are not a member of that party. You declare yourself an outsider, therefore you have to reapply to rejoin, so I have not yet seen his application,” Kaande said.

Asked if the recent reconciliation involving President Banda and the Western Province committee meant nothing going by his statement, Kaande refused to comment.

“I am not President Banda, excuse me. Don't draw me into that,” he said.
On Mulasikwanda's assertion that President Banda should allow himself to be challenged fairly at the convention rather than using underhand methods in the selection of delegates, Kaande wondered how this could be done since the party had not even held provincial conferences.
He accused The Post of being destructive, saying the newspaper's aim was to destroy the MMD.

“Why are you The Post concerned with the MMD convention when you cannot talk about the PF convention; who are you bedfellows?” Kaande asked.
He said he rated the performance of the state owned and government controlled media better than The Post.

“You never even assign special journalists to follow me wherever I go, but for PF you do,” said an angry Kaande.

Labels: JEFF KAANDE, RUPIAH BANDA, SIMASIKU NAMAKANDO

posted by MrK @ 4:57 AM