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GBM is afraid of PF losing in Kasama - Rupiah

GBM is afraid of PF losing in Kasama - Rupiah
By Bivan Saluseki and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Mungwi
Sun 12 Sep. 2010, 04:02 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said he was hoping that there would be a parliamentary by-election in Kasama because MMD was ready.

Speaking at Kasama Airport when he arrived for Ukusefya pa ngwena traditional ceremony taking place in Mungwi, President Banda said he thought PF Kasama Central member of parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) would resign so that MMD and PF could meet in by-elections.

President Banda said looking at the results he got in the last by-election in Kasama, he was narrowing the gap in terms of results.

“I was hoping that we have another by-election but it looks like my colleague and cousin has looked and said ‘aah if I give up this, my party might lose altogether’. So he has re-thought and decided that he is not re-running and he is coming to ask you whether he should resign or not. It’s up to you to do whatever you want to do. But we were ready even for that by-election,” he said.

President Banda asked MMD members to continue to work hard.
He said he had not yet come back to thank the people in Kasama for the ‘4000’ votes MMD got in the last by-election.

“To others they may say you lost but why are you saying thank you for 4,000 votes? Before… the gap was much wider, but we are narrowing it,” he said.

President Banda called for unity in MMD.

“You know when you coming to an election, and 2011 is an election year, all kind of confusion starts coming through our heads and you start fighting over nothing. Things which before we could have solved peacefully but because we are nearing election, we are fighting like hell. But what we need is the opposite of fighting. We need unity, we need hard work, we need to go door to door and convince people. Zambian people are just like any other people. If you convince them, they will support you,” he said.

President Banda said there would be elections in 2011 but he had not declared them yet. He said people should not allow people to campaign unnecessarily, causing confusion and that MMD must guard its victories and work together.

President Banda thanked the church and civil servants for the works they were doing adding that Zambia was destined for great things. He said he was happy that the people in Northern Province were hard working looking at the crops they were growing such as coffee, tea and maize, among others.

President Banda said he was happy that people in the province had responded to government developmental programmes and support. He said, for instance, people in the province had used the fertilizer support programme to grow the maize.

“Without you responding, these things could not happen. Together, we can build this nation,” President Banda said.

He said policemen had few better houses but everything starts and grows.
President Banda, who seemed to be in hurry and kept on consulting provincial leaders while at the dais, said many people in Kasama were building new houses and development was coming or going to come to Kasama.

After his speech, President Banda proceeded to greet MMD and government officials, some of who had given up and thought they would not get a chance to greet him.

And provincial chairman Griever Sikasote said MMD in the province had endorsed President Banda for 2011. He said MMD was determined to scoop all the 10 seats lost in 2006.

Sikasote said MMD would also scoop the Mpulungu seat.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, GBM, KASAMA, PF, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 2:49 AM