HH is destroying himself - Chongwe

HH is destroying himself - Chongwe
By Patson Chilemba
Mon 04 Apr. 2011, 04:02 CAT

Dr Rodger Chongwe says Hakainde Hichilema is destroying himself and he’s committing political suicide with his MMD marriage of convenience. Commenting on Vice-President George Kunda’s revelation that the UPND wanted a coalition with the MMD, Lusaka lawyer Dr Rodger Chongwe said Vice-President Kunda’s revelation showed a lack of leadership on the part of Hichilema.

Dr Chongwe said the future of Zambia did not lie in a marriage of convenience between Hichilema's UPND and MMD. He wondered how Hichilema would want to align himself with a government that had committed many ills since 1991.

Dr Chongwe said the tenure of office of the MMD demanded change at the highest level.

“But if Mr Hichilema thinks that the old dog can change its tricks, then good luck to him. But to me that is committing political suicide. That is lack of political foresight, and that is lack of leadership. But it’s up to UPND. They are a political party, they can make their decisions as other parties can,” Dr Chongwe said.

“I don't think that the future of this country lies in a marriage of convenience between a political party led by a young man like Hichilema. I don't think so. I think he has lost the boat. But it is his decision.”

On the violence in Lusaka following the takeover of markets and bus stations and markets by MMD cadres, Dr Chongwe said the same was happening in other parts of the country like Eastern Province where MMD chitenges were flying in markets.

He said what the people were seeing was a manifestation of the one party system which was defeated in 1991.
“This should not be accepted. We should fight this. The President himself has said we don't need another revolution of what is happening in North Africa because we have had it here in 1991. What he is actually doing is reversing the gains of 1991 by appointing his functionaries to be in charge of markets which are in the hands of councils,” he said.

On President Banda’s blanket condemnation of both the MMD and PF cadres for engaging in the fights, Dr Chongwe said President Banda should just condemn the MMD because they are the ones who had taken over the markets.

“When he put his hand on the Bible that he will act in fairness, without favour of ill will, what is happening now is he is abrogating the Constitution. When something is wrong you must condemn it,” Dr Chongwe said. “There is a clear absence of leadership.”

On the throwing out of the Constitution of Zambia bill, Dr Chongwe said Zambians were happy that the bill was defeated because it was self-serving towards the MMD.

He said the defeat showed that the MMD had lost power and the confidence of the people.

Dr Chongwe said President Banda should have dissolved Parliament and called for fresh elections as a result.

“Government's don't introduce a Constitutional bill and lose it,” Dr Chongwe. “Even proportional representation, it is not sufficient just to stop at women and the disabled. We want proportional representation as a basis of an election system in Zambia. We want devolution of power.”

Dr Chongwe said people wanted power to be shifted from the centre to the provinces, saying that was what the Barotse Agreement entailed.

He said people wanted the inclusion of 50 + 1 for one to be elected president.

“That bill was not going to take the country anywhere, except of course to pay people gratuity which they were not entitled to,” Dr Chongwe said.

He said the MMD government owed Zambians an apology for wasting taxpayers’ money on nothing.
“But you will not get it from MMD. That is why they are too complacent. They think it is business as usual,” said Dr Chongwe.