Maravi

Col Panji endorses Sata for President

Col Panji endorses Sata for President
By Misheck Wangwe
Sat 19 Mar. 2011, 04:02 CAT

COLONEL Panji Kaunda yesterday said that although he is a UPND member, he will support Michael Sata and the PF in this year's elections.

Speaking on Radio Phoenix's Let the People Talk programme, Col Panji said the situation on the ground was showing that PF leader Sata had a greater chance of winning the elections than UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. He said he would campaign for Sata in this year's elections despite being a UPND member because he was being realistic.

Col Panji said it would be difficult to uproot the MMD government from power if the opposition did not unite in supporting Sata who is more popular.

He said Sata was a mature leader who could lead the country to prosperity.

“We should not attach emotions and political affiliations. Let's rise above party lines, put our interests aside and support Sata. The way things are on the ground is that Sata is more popular,” Col Panji said.

“My mathematics show that he (Sata) may fall short of some votes. That's why it will be important for the people who are saying they are neutral to vote for him so that he can have the required numbers.”

Col Panji said he knew that the PF-UPND pact would not work because it was driven by the people while its leaders failed to agree on who could lead the Pact.

He said the most contentious issue in the Pact was nothing but the presidency but that Sata would have led the Pact. Col Panji said all well-meaning Zambians should rally behind Sata with or without the Pact. He said Sata's age did not take away anything from him but made him to become a wise leader. He said Zambians should change government this year because President Rupiah Banda had failed the country.

He said President Banda lost it the time he started associating himself with corrupt people like former president Frederick Chiluba who plundered national resources.

“The day he embraced Chiluba is the day I lost confidence in him. I drew the line between Rupiah Banda and I the time he embraced corruption and thieves,” Col Panji said. “That's why we need to unite if we are to uproot the MMD from power because they have the machinery and it is a fact that the ruling party tampers with elections.”

Col Panji said the opposition parties had continued to lose elections because they split votes.

“I believe in my principles and we are not doing this for our own benefit but for the future of the country and our children. What happened in 2008 when the votes were split should not be repeated because Zambians want change,” he said.

And responding to one of the callers who accused him of supporting Sata because he wanted a ministerial position, Col Panji said he was not interested in any position.

He said time for him to be in government or to become a parliamentarian had passed. Col Panji said he was interested in securing the future of the country.

And commenting on the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT), Col Panji said the exercise was about enhancing transparency in the electoral process.

He said PVT was important because it was clear that government had a tendency of manipulating votes.

"We know that the MMD would do anything to retain power. That's why we need PVT for transparency," said Col Panji.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, PANJI KAUNDA, PF, PF-UPND, UPND

posted by MrK @ 4:36 PM