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SACCORD condemns Rupiah over his tantrums on donors

SACCORD condemns Rupiah over his tantrums on donors
By Salim Dawood
Mon 30 Aug. 2010, 10:00 CAT

SOUTHERN African Centre for the Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director, Lee Habasonda, has said there are better ways President Rupiah Banda can use to address donors and diplomats accredited to Zambia instead of throwing public tantrums from the airport.

Commenting on President Banda's latest trend of breaking into public outbursts against the country's donors and diplomats from airports, Habaasonda said President Banda's behaviour was shocking and unbecoming.

“The outbursts by the President are going to make the work of the Zambian representatives in missions outside the country very difficult,” Habaasonda warned.

He said it was shocking that even experienced diplomats like government parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga who is fond of quoting the Vienna Convention could support President Banda's behaviour.

“In fact the President has accredited all the diplomats in the country, he can use other channels to address his concerns maybe by phoning them or even inviting them to State House and discussing the issues instead of those outbursts at the airport,” he said.

Habaasonda also described President Banda's accusation of donors practicing colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism as baseless and unfounded.

“The President's accusation of donors practicing of colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism are unfounded, he is just blaming other people for his own failure to act appropriately.

“The lessons from Zimbabwe are too fresh for us to be blind to, the President must learn to choose his fights properly,” he said.

Habaasonda urged the people that were close and supporting President Banda's outbursts on donors to ask him to apologise for what he termed inappropriate and unbecoming behaviour

He further said President Banda must ask himself why donor and diplomats were concerned with the matter concerning the outcome of Chiluba's corruption court cases.

Habaasonda's said government's refusal to appeal against court rulings that went in favour of Chiluba in his corruption cases did not make sense to anyone outside President Banda's circle and those that were supporting him.

“We as SACCORD are disappointed that President Rupiah Banda could react in the way that he did to the international community regarding the Chiluba case,” he said.

Habaasonda said second republican president Fredrick Chiluba's corruption cases had serious ramifications not only on Zambia but also the international community.

He further charged that President Banda had continued to create problems for himself by not listening to the Zambian people and should therefore not blame donors and diplomats.

Labels: DONORS, LEE HABASONDA, RUPIAH BANDA, SACCORD

posted by MrK @ 6:11 PM