Maravi

PF women to picket MPs over ‘abuse of office’

PF women to picket MPs over ‘abuse of office’
By George Chellah
Tue 02 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT

PF leader Michael Sata yesterday said members of the Patriotic Front women's league will tomorrow stage a protest at the National Assembly building when the Anti-Corruption bill comes up for committee stage.

In an interview, Sata said the PF members would picket parliament to defend the abuse of office offence.

"In response to the call by our brothers and sisters from the Anglican Church who are urging this government not to remove the offence of abuse of office from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act, our members from the Lusaka Province and district women's league will be at Parliament this Wednesday to peacefully protest since the bill is coming up for committee stage," Sata said. "PF will be there so that we can remind parliament that they are about to make a serious blunder because the Zambian people have rejected that move. Our people don't want the fight against corruption to be compromised through such manoeuvres. Therefore, the same way we protested, as PF, against the sale of Zanaco, we shall do it again over this move to try and remove the offence of abuse of office from the ACC Act."

Sata said Zambians were determined to picket Parliament the same way they did during the removal of former president Frederick Chiluba's immunity.

"Our members shall protest against the removal of abuse of office offence because there is no country in the world where laws are enacted to protect thieves. You can travel world over and you will never find this behaviour by Rupiah and George Kunda," Sata said. "In fact, countries all over the world are currently strengthening their laws to curb corruption and other related vices. So Rupiah should be ashamed of what they are trying to do on abuse of office. Zambia seems to be going backwards as other countries advance."

On Transparency International's (TI) denial of ever praising President Banda on the fight against corruption, Sata said President Banda was desperate.

"My brother is using wrong image builders. Ronnie Shikapwasha and Dickson Jere are the worst image builders anybody can ever use. Just look at their propensity to error and humiliate their superiors due to their poor judgment and shaky analytical skills, it's not something anyone can be proud of. There is no difference between Shikapwasha and Jere," Sata said. "We all learnt English so let them not twist facts. There is no way TI can praise Rupiah who is in the forefront of protecting plunderers. Jere should be careful before embarking on any of such missions because he has to protect his integrity as well. Let him remain a professional and he should not be compromised."

Sata advised President Banda not to hunt for praises.

"People shall only praise him for the things he is doing right. Just like yesterday, the church praised him on things they feel he is doing right. So he shouldn't expect praises all the time," he said.
And Sata called on Zambian political parties to make a public commitment to abstain from instigating all forms of political violence.

"We urge the government and the President to protect all Zambian citizens and the right of the individual to an active political life, both within a ruling party and in opposition instead of protecting Zambian and Chinese criminals by rigging prosecution by proposing compensation for the Chinese victims," said Sata. "We recognise that the governing party has the right to run government under the law. Government also has an ongoing direct responsibility for the safety and well being of all residents and citizens including opposition political leaders who are an essential part of the practice of our democracy."

Labels: ACC, PF

posted by MrK @ 3:52 PM