Maravi

Kunda must resign on medical grounds – Syakalima

Kunda must resign on medical grounds – Syakalima
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wed 24 Feb. 2010, 04:01 CAT

VICE-President George Kunda must resign on medical grounds, UPND Siavonga member of parliament Douglas Syakalima demanded yesterday.

And Bweengwa member of parliament Highvie Hamududu gave Vice-President Kunda a 12-hour ultimatum to retract his statement that UPND parliamentarians had resolved to expel party leader Hakainde Hichilema and replace him with Mazabuka Central member of parliament Gary Nkombo, failure to which he would sue him.

Meanwhile, Nkombo labelled Vice-President Kunda as a liar following his claim that he Nkombo would be appointed UPND president and Syakalima his vice to replace Hichilema.

Addressing a media briefing at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka, Syakalima, who repeatedly told the gathering that he was a professional psychologist, said Vice-President Kunda had run insane hence telling lies about the UPND.

“He has now panic disorder; you must now become worried,” Syakalima said.

“We are in trouble as Zambians. The best I could ask him, George Kunda, is to step down on medical grounds. If he cannot on his own, when Rupiah Banda comes back, and I think he will know, they will have told him to say that 'one professional psychologist has declared your Vice-President insane'. He must remove him. He Vice-President Kunda gonna do certain things which the whole country will regret one day. Like now he is the acting commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Do we know what he can easily say? That is why I am saying the whole country is under siege.”

Syakalima said Hichilema was unstoppable.

“HH now is unstoppable, no law, no war, no man shall stop him,” declared Syakalima.
He also said the PF-UPND pact would bruise former Frederick Chiluba “with bare knuckles”.

“The respect that we have for our former presidents must end where they ended,” said Syakalima.
And Hamududu warned that he would take legal action against Vice-President Kunda.

“I want to ask the Vice-President George Kunda to retract the statement that he made in Livingstone. He must tell us if he has any facts. Which MPs met and where? If he does not do that I am giving him 12 hours to retract that statement or I will drag him to the court. I have already spoken to my lawyer,” said Hamududu.

Meanwhile, Nkombo said Vice-President Kunda had failed the test that came with the responsibility of holding the second highest position of the land.

“Mr Kunda, in the last couple of months, has made a lot of wild, unsubstantiated statements,” Nkombo said. “Whatever biomedical conditions or mental condition that Vice-President suffered has gone beyond any means of contemplation. This country, I feel, is in danger. We have a lair as acting President.”

Nkombo said no amount of pressure or lies would divide the UPND.
“We are determined to make sure that Mr Kunda, within 15 months, he will not only be in the opposition party but he will be back in Luanshya where the late president Levy Mwanawasa found him walking on the street with a plastic bag,” said Nkombo.

Addressing MMD cadres at Livingstone International Airport on Monday, Vice-President Kunda claimed that the UPND had serious internal problems.

“Mr Hakainde Hichilema will soon be expelled from his party by his members of Parliament. Mr Gary Nkombo will be appointed the president of the UPND while Mr Douglas Syakalima is going to be the deputy,” said Vice-President Kunda.

Labels: DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA, GEORGE KUNDA, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU

posted by MrK @ 4:50 AM