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Donors are seeking regime change in Zambia - Mulongoti

Donors are seeking regime change in Zambia - Mulongoti
By George Zulu in Monze
Mon 09 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT

WORKS and supply minister Mike Mulongoti has accused donors of withholding funds whenever they want a regime change especially in developing countries like Zambia.

Featuring on Mazabuka Radio’s Live wire programme on Saturday, Mulongoti said donors were in the habit of withholding funds whenever developing countries were about to hold general elections because they wanted a regime change.

He said the MMD government had many competitors and political enemies, which included Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the opposition and the donors, who were in the habit of withholding funds whenever countries were about to hold general elections.

“We have competitors, some from NGOs, opposition political parties and, I have to say this, almost all developing countries when they are about to go for elections, they experience this: donors will normally withdraw funds and find many excuses to give for not doing this funding because their interest is to see a regime change because they believe that that is when they can promote democracy through regime change,” Mulongoti said.

“They withdraw funds, give you so many kinds of excuses, and Zambia is not an exception. It has happened before in Malawi when Bingu wa Mutharika was standing, they withdrew support. They thought he had used donor funds to buy a jet. They have gone back to him after he was re-elected.”

Mulongoti said the Rupiah Banda administration was clean and not corrupt as perceived by some people.

He said the excuses donors were giving, that the Zambian government had failed to commit itself to fighting corruption, mismanagement of donor funds and other issues, could be addressed without necessarily withholding funds.

Mulongoti said in the event that donors left, they would still return. He said the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba hurt The Post and its legacy because the newspaper had in the past seven years convicted and called Chiluba a thief.

“The Post newspaper, I know they will be angry with me because they were saying 'Chiluba is a thief, Chiluba thief' and The Post had already convicted him as far as they were concerned for over the last seven years. So when he was acquitted by the courts, they Post felt very angry because what they were saying did not happen. So as a result of me saying what I said in Mansa, it annoyed them Post.

It is hurting them and their legacy. Their legacy was that they were going to ensure that they secure a conviction of Dr Chiluba,” Mulongoti said.
During a programme on Radio Mano in Kasama last year, Mulongoti said it would have been costly to jail Chiluba.

And Mulongoti said people should not take what The Post says as gospel truth because the newspaper thrives on lies about those in the government.
Mulongoti said Chilanga MMD member of parliament Ng’andu Magande should ask himself if he had the ability to look after his colleagues in the MMD in the event that he was elected party president.

“You must always consider where you have come from and the relation with your colleagues. All of us in the party and in government we look to each other for support, but if your colleagues do not support you, it means you cannot look after them; and that is what Mr Magande should be asking himself. Is he able to look after me and others? It is an issue that he must answer himself,” said Mulongoti.

Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, MIKE MULONGOTI

posted by MrK @ 3:51 AM