Maravi

Sata seeks peaceful election environment

Sata seeks peaceful election environment
By George Chellah
Wed 13 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

MICHAEL Sata has advised President Rupiah Banda to disengage the government and the MMD from cultivating an environment that can compromise peace during the 2011 general elections. In a letter to President Banda dated April 11, 2011, Sata stated that PF was concerned with the government’s lack of corrective measures on the matter.

“I read with great interest the headlines, ‘Help avert bloodshed, Banda tells believers’ and ‘RB preaches peace’ in the Sunday Times and the Sunday Mail editions dated 10th April, 2011 respectively. The two articles were reporting about the speech you delivered during the consecration ceremony of Monsignor Benjamin Phiri in Chipata on Saturday 09th April 2011,” Sata stated.

“I am pleased to note Your Excellency that you are conscious of the fact that the existing political situation can actually degenerate into bloodshed and hence your appeal to the Church to intervene. As for me and my party, the Patriotic Front, we have been concerned about the unfolding situation which if not arrested may indeed degenerate into civil strife.”

Sata also cited examples where the government had failed to correctly address the matter.

“For more than five (5) months now the MMD which is the political party you lead in collaboration with sympathisers like Mr B.Y Mwila has embarked on sponsoring hate speech programmes against me as one of the contenders in the 2011 elections.

“These programmes which have been aired on ZNBC TV have the intention of demonising me in the minds of the people and the electorate in particular,” Sata stated.

“I have no doubt Your Excellency that you have been watching these programmes. If a programme such as the ones produced by Chanda Chimba III were to be aired against you regarding your past, the provisions of criminal libel would visit such a producer to protect you not only as head of state but even as an individual citizen.

“I also wish to bring it to your attention that your Vice-President Mr George Kunda has also been engaged in a tirade of hate speech against me. He has on many occasions publicly referred to me as a ‘criminal’ or a ‘thief’. I am sure you have read about his speeches in the government press. In all the cases I have referred to above I have not heard any comment from yourself as head of state to the effect that such an environment of hate speeches is not conducive to a peaceful election.”

He stated that for more than six months now, ZNBC has been running advertisements during its prime time telling Zambians how successful President Banda as head of state and his government had been in bringing about development in the country and why people should give him support.

“These are clearly political advertisements at the time when you have not announced to the people of Zambia and the world the date for the 2011 elections. However, when the PF runs a political advertisement on a private radio station to boost its support in a similar manner your Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha in the style reminiscent of the late president Saddam Hussein's 'Chemical Ali' threatens the radio stations giving the reason that there should be no campaign songs before the announcement of the election date by your office,” Sata stated.

“This is hardly a week after you as head of state made a public pronouncement that you are a believer in the freedom of the press. I want to state that I have in the past restrained PF members and supporters against engaging in any acts of violence or civil strife even after losing an election which my members did not believe was free and fair from government malpractices. What was different is that no government machinery or officials were employed to demonise me as is the case now.

“It is, therefore, incumbent upon you as head of state to see to it that you do not only call upon the Church to take steps to avert civil strife before or after the 2011 elections but that you also disengage your government and the MMD from cultivating an environment which can compromise the existing peace we all want to continue to enjoy in our country.”

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MICHAEL SATA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE

posted by MrK @ 4:56 AM