The MMD would kill to stay in power - Panji

The MMD would kill to stay in power - Panji
By Christopher Miti in Chipata
Mon 07 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE MMD would go to any lengthy including killing people to stay in power, says Col Panji Kaunda. Commenting on reactions that his proposal to unite the opposition under one umbrella to form government has received, Col Panji said the MMD was panicking.

Col Panji said the MMD had tried very hard to destabilize the PF-UPND pact.

“In a way, they have managed to destabilise the Pact because by now it could have been working as one but they are still facing leadership problems. What people are looking for is to see the two parties in the Pact be working together in the interest of the people of Zambia. Unless we put our personal preferences aside, the Pact as it is today will not work,” Col Panji said.

He said he came up with the idea of organising the people of Zambia to be above party politics.

“We are not doing this because if we choose PF then we like PF or we choose UPND we like UPND, no. We wanted this because it is the only way that this country can move forward. We have had 20 years of MMD and the results are there for all of us to see, total failure. We have thieves being paraded as superstars. Corruption has now become normal in our livelihood and greed for power is the order of the day,” Col Panji said.

He said once the government of all opposition parties was formed, the first thing would be to come up with a new constitution without forming expensive constitutional review commissions and that the new government could come up with a good constitution within 100 days.

“Our only answer to all these problems is for all the opposition political parties' even one-man political parties as long as they are not MMD they must come together and campaign together, fight together and win together,” Col Panji said.

He said the new constitution should consider the 50 per cent plus one for both president and the members of parliament.

Col Panji said the pact which was being formed does not mean the PF-UPND pact would be disbanded.
He said the new pact should look at who was going to produce the majority in Parliament and not necessarily to look at names.

Col Panji said he first tried the Pact in 2001 but could not work properly because of selfishness.
“In my view, unless we do this, if we don't, we are going to gift the MMD another term of office and once we do that, it will be a total disaster. This country will go down to the dogs because it will be so rotten, so corrupt people will be selling their principles for money,” Col Panji said.

On public media's articles linking him to PF shadow cabinet, Col Panji said the allegations were unfounded.

He said even after the death of Shati Banda (former Chadiza MP) he did not want to run for MP but that he was merely grabbed into the seat.

“Late Mwanawasa, may his soul rest in peace, Rupiah Banda is his number two choice, I was the one who was approached first. He sent his emissaries when I was on a trip to Mwinilunga. When I went to Lusaka I was told the President wanted me to join MMD and that I was going to be made trustee of MMD. That thereafter I was going to be vice-president of the party. I told my president through his messengers that ‘Mr President, I swore a lot of allegiance to Zambia, I would serve in any position that you need me but to ask me to leave my party and join MMD is beyond thinking,” Col Panji said.
He said he politely turned down the offer by late president Mwanawasa.

“If I was a man who was greedy for positions, I was going to jump on it and grab the seat and today I would have been President maybe. But that's not the aim; it's not about power, it's about your principles and your conviction. I have been approached by three parties in the past, UPND, PF and even MMD. They approached me to stand in Vubwi but I said, no, my job is not to stand, there are a lot of young men around here,” Col Panji said. “No matter what propaganda the MMD are going to put up about what we are doing, they are not going to succeed because some of us are not interested in positions. As I keep telling the nation, my father was in power for 27 years and I would have gotten any job I wanted. Even under Rupiah Banda if I wanted a job I would have gotten it but I would rather be poor and keep my principles. All I am doing is to safeguard our grandchildren, to safeguard those who are unable to voice out.”

He said the allegations that he was challenging PF president Michael Sata for the position of president was not true.

Col Panji also reminded President Banda, who recently referred him as Mr that retired officer, that he should not refer to him as Mr.

He urged President Banda never to call him Mr Kaunda again because he would also call him what he wanted to call him.
Col Panji congratulated PF for scooping Mporokoso parliamentary seat