Maravi

MMD should be honest over vice-presidency – Namakando

MMD should be honest over vice-presidency – Namakando
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:02 CAT

Namakando bragged that at the moment, MMD was more popular in Western Province than any other part of the country. WESTERN Province MMD chairman Simasiku Namakando yesterday demanded that the ruling party top leadership should be honest with the people of Barotseland on the issue of the Republican vice-presidency.

Commenting on revelations that President Rupiah Banda has pledged to appoint a vice-president from Luapula Province if the people there delivered the area to the MMD in 2011, Namakando said the story made very interesting reading.

Namakando said a president had a right to appoint any person to be his vice-president if he felt he could work with that person better.

“If it is true that he promised the people of Luapula that if they delivered the province to the MMD in 2011, he is going to appoint Chriticles Mwansa as vice-president, it is a very good story. It makes very interesting reading,”

Namakando said in an interview from Mongu. “But are the people of Luapula going to deliver because we (Western Province) are not saying we shall deliver. We are saying that we delivered and we shall continue to deliver. So the President will see who can deliver fast. Who are honest to him, whether it is Luapula or Western?”

Namakando bragged that at the moment, MMD was more popular in Western Province than any other part of the country. He said while he was not entirely doubting the capacity of the people of Luapula to deliver for the MMD, it was a fact that they had failed to deliver in the past elections.

“All these elections they failed to deliver. They are now saying 'we shall deliver'. Are they going to deliver because the opposition is very strong in that area?” Namakando asked.

He said when people work hard, the leadership should also reciprocate such efforts.

“That we should also reward these people because Western Province has been honest with our leaders. We just deliver on our own without them promising us anything,” Namakando said. “Nobody promised us anything and with or without being promised anything we shall be honest with the leadership and they must also be honest with us. This time they must see that Western Province delivers all the time without promising us anything. All the eight provinces have produced vice-presidents except Western Province.”

Namakando said there were highly educated men and women in the province who could be appointed vice-presidents.

“Let them try Western Province also and see what we can do,” he said.

Namakando said the MMD in the province was still keen on fielding a person who hails from the area as a candidate for the party vice-presidency during the convention.

Labels: MMD, SIMASIKU NAMAKANDO, VICE PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 3:27 PM