Mpombo gives advice on pact presidency

Mpombo gives advice on pact presidency
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 04 Oct. 2010, 04:02 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo yesterday said it is very clear that Patriotic Front (PF) is much bigger than UPND, saying this should be one of the factors the two parties should use to arrive at the PF-UPND pact presidency. In an interview yesterday, Mpombo echoed FDD president Edith Nawakwi’s statement that the parties in the pact should accept their true status.

“In terms of the status of the two, obviously PF is much bigger in terms of areas they control and there is no doubt about that because they have four provinces under their control. So in my own assessment, PF is much bigger than UPND. That is very, very clear,” Mpombo, an MMD member of parliament and former defence minister, said.

On Nawakwi’s remark that the UPND in 2006 asked the FDD to accept that they were junior in the United Democratic Alliance, therefore the UPND deserved to get the presidency, Mpombo said the past could be used to build the future.

“I think PF in terms of political influence is quite ahead in terms of political influence, considering the number of seats they hold in Parliament, and also the political machinery. They have a bigger political machinery,” Mpombo said.

“So I think those are factors that can be taken into account when arriving at the leadership. For UDA, it was small political parties coming together and therefore that did not translate into a powerful political force. But I can assure you if UPND and PF proceed along the path of unity of purpose, it will be very, very clear that MMD will be out, without question.”

Mpombo said Zambia was bigger than any one individual.

“In life, it is important sometimes to make short term sacrifices for long term gains. Leadership comes from God, and God will ensure that what He has prepared comes to bear. They should remove selfishness and humble themselves by knowing their true status,” he said.

On the decision by the PF to leave Chilanga for UPND, although they beat all the political parties in the area during the 2008 presidential elections, Mpombo described the decision by the PF central committee as magnanimous and mature.

He said he hoped the spirit they had demonstrated in Chilanga would manifest into strong unity of purpose.

Mpombo said it would be important for the PF to UPND to seat immediately and chat the way forward regarding the presidency.

“It is important that now they should sit down and begin to address the pact in very clear and unambiguous terms because a lot of people are looking to the pact to save them from the tyranny, dictatorship and poor leadership of Rupiah Banda. So I agree with the assessment of Nawakwi that it is important for people to come together and resolve the issue of status,” Mpombo said.

“That is very, very important. What they should know is that Rupiah Banda has already declared the campaign officially when he launched his campaign in Parliament. Unless these guys resolve they will be caught napping because President Banda, in his desperation for power, can spring a surprise by calling for an early election using the so-called projects. So that’s what my advice will be.”

On Friday, Nawakwi asked the UPND to accept that they were a junior partner in the PF-UPND pact.

She said that was what the UPND did in 2006 when they asked all the political parties in UDA to accept that they were junior.