Rupiah is likely to call for an early election – Magande

Rupiah is likely to call for an early election – Magande
By Patson Chilemba
Sun 18 Apr. 2010, 04:30 CAT

NG’ANDU Magande yesterday said President Rupiah Banda is likely to call for an early general election next year in order to catch his opponents unaware. And Magande said he doubts if the MMD would have a national convention going by President Banda’s conduct.

In an interview, Magande said assertions that President Banda would call for a general election could be true, otherwise the President would not be campaigning like he was doing now if the elections would be held in the later parts of 2011.

He said everything was being done in a secretive manner and people were not being told what was exactly happening.

“But that is why I am saying it is not fair because he is the one who decides with the Electoral Commission of Zambia on what date they elections are supposed to be. And I think that’s why we should put it in the Republican Constitution so that everybody knows when to start campaigning,” Magande said.

He said President Banda recently said in Mazabuka that nobody would stop him from standing for the general election.

“And he said ‘I am going to tour the whole country, every district’. So are we saying he has already started now, and this is his touring of all the districts? But then when are the general elections? We would like to know so that those who want to stand either as President of the Republic or as members of parliament, as councillors can also start campaigning,” Magande said. “And from my travels, there are many who want to stand at various levels of governance of this government, which by the Constitution allows them, and everybody is free.”

Magande said President Banda was just talking about Patriotic front (PF) president Michael Sata and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema, but there were many who wanted to challenge him for the presidency.

He asked President Banda to announce the election date, and he would be surprised that there were many Zambians who wanted to challenge him for the presidency.

On the MMD national convention, Magande doubted if the ruling party would go for the convention.

“I doubt really if the convention will be there. Again he is supposed to call for a NEC national executive committee meeting for us to decide on the date and venue of the convention. We were supposed to meet before end of March, we haven’t met.

This is middle of April,” Magande said. “So again, he is the one who knows all this information and perhaps he is keeping it to himself. If he is doing that, then how do the people prepare? Me, I have to present a report on the economy and finance since 2005 after the last convention, so if I don’t know and he just calls the convention next week, I haven’t collected the data from the members who are scattered all over.”

Magande said he at least had some idea of what the people of North Western Province wanted because he was recently there on parliamentary duties.

“I haven’t toured the rest of the country, obviously it would be disadvantageous for members of the outgoing NEC to be unable to make representation to the membership on what has happened,” Magande said.

Magande also said President Banda should have used the platform in Milanzi to campaign for the aspiring MMD member of parliament rather than campaigning for his re-election.