Rupiah will be accountable for bloodshed - Lubinda

Rupiah will be accountable for bloodshed - Lubinda
By By Patson Chilemba
Mon 04 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

GIVEN Lubinda says President Rupiah Banda will be held accountable for any bloodshed because of the violence brought about by the lawless takeover of public institutions by MMD cadres.

In a letter dated April 1, 2011, and addressed to President Banda and copied to PF leader Michael Sata, Lubinda, who is Kabwata PF member of parliament, stated that President Banda should stop the violence which was rearing its ugly head over the nation.

Lubinda stated that in keeping with the oath of office that President Banda took to defend the Constitution of Zambia and its sovereignty, and as expected of his executive functions, Zambians were anxiously awaiting his firm and unwavering directive to all his operatives, including the Ministries of Transport and Communications, Local Government and Housing, Home Affairs and MMD functionaries to end the violence.

“You may wish to know that in line with your enormous powers over the governance of this country, any blood that may be shed because of your failure to stop these violent clashes will be for you to account for. I humbly submit for your serious reflection and consideration,” he stated in part.

Lubinda stated that he had read with keen interest, excepts of President Banda’s speech which he delivered at the SADC Troika meeting in Livingstone.

“The call you made to your fellow heads of state and other delegates to uphold democratic principles and reduce tension provokes very serious reflection,”

Lubinda stated. “All right thinking people will concur with you that the sure way of sustaining peace and harmony in any society is by promoting and upholding democratic tenets of good governance and tolerant of divergent political views.”

Lubinda stated that President Banda was spot on when he warned that the happenings in North Africa could happen in any SADC member country if they fail to uphold democratic principles.

He stated that President Banda was alive to numerous tensions, including incidences that had rocked many parts of the country in the recent past.

“I will not delve into all of them. Allow me however to concentrate only on one namely the forceful intrusion of bus stations and markets by cadres of your political party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD),” Lubinda stated.

“As you are aware your cadres have been quoted in various media as having taken over the operations at Intercity Bus Terminus, City Market and as late as yesterday Thursday Luburma Market. Pictures of violent clashes between your cadres and the ordinary traveling public and bus operators are still vivid in our minds.”

Lubinda stated that MMD cadres besieged Luburma Market at the same time
President Banda was delivering his speech about upholding democratic principles as a way of averting tension.

He stated that the turmoil in North Africa was instigated by the manner in which a Tunisian Marketeer was abused.

“Delighted by your public declaration that democratic principles ought to be upheld to reduce tension, I wish to implore you to put those words into practice by ensuing that ordinary citizens go about with their businesses freely without interference from anyone, and without regard to their political affiliation,” stated Lubinda.

“It is certainly against the Zambian Constitution and the Bus Stations and Markets Boards Act for any political party to impose their cadres and their party regalia in bus stations and markets for whatever reasons.”

Lubinda stated that there was bound to be a counter reaction from cadres of other political parties and ordinary citizens if the conduct of MMD cadres was not curtailed immediately.

“And in no time we may have a Zambian Bouazizi Tunisian vendor who killed himself whose life shall have to be avenged in the same manner that the life of a Tunisian is being avenged in the whole of North Africa,” stated Lubinda.