Maravi

Next year’s elections won’t be free and fair - Fr Miha

Next year’s elections won’t be free and fair - Fr Miha
By Ernest Chanda
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:02 CAT

MISSION Press director Fr Miha Drevensek has charged that the fight against corruption in Zambia has gone to the dogs.

Expressing his disappointment with government's failure to act on revelations of the Auditor General's reports released annually in which several abuses of public resources are highlighted, Fr Miha challenged President Rupiah Banda to show leadership and cage the culprits.

He said a trend had been set where people could steal public money with impunity, knowing too well that no one would question them.

“Corruption seems to have now become a part of our life. People who are supposed to fight corruption are now promoting the vice. Revelations of the Auditor General's reports are ignored every time. We have reached a stage where no one is responsible for anyone.

People can steal with impunity, the Auditor General's office reveals it and no one takes action. This has now become an annual ceremony where we will read about various irregularities and they lie just like that,” Fr Miha complained.

“Now if President Rupiah Banda has any desire to fight corruption, I challenge him to put his foot down, catch these thieves one by one and put them behind bars. If he doesn't do this, people will take his pronouncements about the corruption fight as lip service. Let me also say that if government doesn't address this issue seriously, then they don't deserve to be re-elected. In fact, I can just say the fight against corruption has gone to the dogs.”

Fr Miha said innocent people had suffered at the hands of corruption by not getting the much needed social services. He warned that next year's elections might not be fair going by government's embracing of corruption.

“Children are suffering because there is no one to give them social services. Some of them cannot access quality education while others can't have good health care because somebody stole from them. Some public official became selfish and stole from state coffers, the resources our children should have benefited from. We will not tolerate such a situation,” said Fr Miha.

“Going by the current scenario, it is enough warning that next year's elections will not be free and fair. People's money will just disappear and find its way in campaigns all because somebody knows that nobody will make them accountable. Can we please have someone responsible enough to act on these reports and bring the culprits to book?”

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, ELECTIONS, MIHA DREVENSEK

posted by MrK @ 3:25 PM