PF showed disrespect by blocking Vice-President - Rupiah

PF showed disrespect by blocking Vice-President - Rupiah
By Kabanda Chulu, Abigail Chaponda in Ndola and Sandra Lombe in
Tue 03 Aug. 2010, 21:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda today said the refusal by PF leader Michael Sata and his members to give way to the Vice President’s motorcade yesterday is an indication of how they will behave if voted into office. And President Banda has challenged police officers to take their responsibilities with seriousness in order to avoid creating unnecessary confusion in the country.

Addressing MMD cadres on arrival at Ndola International Airport, President Banda said he could not believe that the PF showed disrespect to the office of the Vice-President.

“George Kunda is a legitimate Vice President of this country and that office is not about the individual but it is enshrined in the Constitution hence it should be respected and the refusal to give way to his Kunda motorcade by Mr Sata and his members just shows how they will behave once they are voted into power and this is the right time for Zambians to see the kind of leaders aspiring for higher offices,” President Banda said.

“Imagine if they come into office and such a thing happens to them, are they going to be happy if they are treated with disrespect?”

He said the incident should not happen again.

“I am talking openly about this and there is no malice and I am not blaming anyone but police officers and other public workers serving government should take their responsibilities with seriousness to avoid creating unnecessary confusion, for instance, I just get into the car and I don’t know the route to be taken but it is a duty of police officers and on that particular day they knew what was happening and they could have advised Mr Sata to use a different route or they could have said ‘Mr Vice-President take this route’,” President Banda said.

“Peace should be enhanced at all times and this is a democracy but it does not mean that we should stop showing respect to constitutional offices and only those God wants to lead, will win an election, like me I have only stood once and won but they have been standing many times without winning and let those who want to expose themselves as violent leaders be known and if time has come for you to win then you will win and you can’t force that time to come.”

Yesterday, Vice-President Kunda’s motorcade was forced to move off the road to pave way for Sata’s huge convoy as he headed to Chifubu to hold a rally.

President Banda advised MMD members to continue fighting in a peaceful manner through explaining government programmes.

“Don’t feel intimidated, let’s keep this spirit of togetherness and winning the Luena and Chifuba elections will give us impetus towards the 2011 general elections," said President Banda, who is in Ndola to campaign for the MMD candidate Frank Ng’ambi.

Earlier in Livingstone, President Banda said he needed prayers to continue as leader of the country.

Speaking at Livingstone International Airport before departure for Ndola, President Banda, who was in the area to grace the Bene Mukuni traditional ceremony, thanked chief Nyawa of Kazungula District for giving him a cow.

“I am mauless speechless for his royal highness to give me such a precious gift. I am really, really grateful like I was telling other chiefs whom I met now. Just pray for me, I am in this battle till I finish. I need prayers, I need to remind myself and I need to remind others that you cannot be President unless whoever creates us want it,” President Banda said.

He said there was no need for violence.

President Banda said leaders just needed to give people whatever they could and leave them to make independent choices.

“Otherwise as you know I came from nowhere. I shouldn’t have been President where I am now if not for him. The other one could have been President so you don’t need to fight. We chose democracy ourselves, all the Zambian people we want peace especially during elections,” he said.

On the blocking of Vice-President Kunda’s motorcade by Sata’s convoy, President Banda said the police were careless.

“I feel very bad about it actually because the Vice-President is the
Vice-President and there will always be a Vice-President whether he is George Kunda, from their party or another party. The country in its Constitution which provides the position of Vice-President is incumbent upon all of us Zambians to respect,” he said. “The police were really careless, they shouldn’t have allowed two parties who are holding elections to meet in the middle. That is unnecessary, we don’t need violence.”

On Rwanda’s forthcoming elections, President Banda prayed that there would be no violence.

“I know the President Paul Kagame himself, he is a colleague in the AU African Union, SADC Southern African Development Community. He fought for that country, came from the forest to come and fight in order to become President. I don’t think he would deliberately want bloodshed for the country. I hope and I pray for them,” said President Banda.