Maravi

PF must sweep Luapula – Sata

PF must sweep Luapula – Sata
By George Chellah in Nchelenge
Wed 09 Feb. 2011, 04:02 CAT

The Patriotic Front (PF) must sweep all the seats in Luapula Province this year, says Michael Sata. During the official opening of the 6th Luapula provincial conference, Sata urged the delegates to make 2011 a decisive year.

“I want to see PF sweep all the seats in Luapula Province this year. We must sweep all the seats but it won’t happen on its own; it starts with this conference, the leaders you will elect, your own commitment to go out and campaign for the good of your province and for the good of our entire country,” Sata said.

“For us in PF, we respect all tribes and ethnic groups in our country. As far as PF is concerned, we are all Zambians, and that is what should matter most. We all want to see development not just in the leaders’ pockets, but in our localities. Those of you who will be elected to leadership at this conference, I want you to commit yourselves to a lot of hard work in the campaign to ensure everyone that is eligible is registered as a voter.”

He said PF required everyone’s vote to win decisively.

“So that no vote rigging will even be contemplated by MMD,” he said.

He said PF would like to extend its hand of friendship to all trustworthy opposition parties.

“I say not all opposition parties, but trustworthy opposition parties and encourage them to come forth and let us join hands to remove MMD from power. Not for its sake but so that we can bring about equitable development to our provinces and the whole country,” Sata said. “So that we can bring about a serious people-driven constitution, reform the electoral process, decentralise power to the people and overcome Banda’s corruption, greedy and selfishness.”

He said since the last tripartite elections a number of important events have occurred in Luapula.
“I am referring to matters affecting your elected members of parliament. Most of those who in 2006 came begging to be adopted as PF parliamentary candidates have abandoned you who enabled them to go to parliament in Lusaka,” Sata said. “They did not only abandon you all together but abandoned their constituencies, their districts and the province and went and settled in Lusaka.”

He said in 2006 the people of Luapula trusted their own children and decided to entrust them with their wellbeing and that of their children’s future.

“The following are your children you trusted and employed as messengers to represent you during the sharing of the national cake; BY Mwila Nchelenge, Jacob Chongo Mwense, Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka Kawambwa, Benard Chisha Pambashe, Ernest Mwansa Chifunabuli, Joseph Kasongo Bangweulu, Peter Machungwa Luapula and Besa Chimbaka Bahati,” Sata said. “They are on it again they are now telling you that 2011 they are going to contest their constituencies on MMD ticket. They do not care about the MMD cadres who have built the party they want to use. Chimbaka is already a big beneficiary.”

He said President Banda and Vice-President George Kunda thought PF was scared to hold party provincial conferences.

“How and what can we be scared of meeting our own members? Let these conferences shame them,” Sata said. “I challenge Rupiah Banda and his lame-duck Vice-President Kunda that if what we are doing here in Luapula today is not intra-party democracy at work, let them tell us what else it is then.”
On development, Sata said Dr Kenneth Kaunda took development to Luapula by building roads, the Tuta Bridge among others.

“Mwanawasa also built the long awaited bridge at Chembe but Chiluba only introduced cell phones,” he said.

He said once in power the PF’s plans for Luapula include infrastructure development such as roads, tourism, industries and mining. He said PF would also seek to encourage citizen economic empowerment by creating champions among the locals.

Labels: LUAPULA PROVINCE, MICHAEL SATA, PF

posted by MrK @ 6:30 AM