Rupiah’s son denies eyeing Chipata Central

Rupiah’s son denies eyeing Chipata Central
By Christopher Miti
Mon 09 May 2011, 04:01 CAT

I WOULD be foolish to leave a lucrative job and come to be member of parliament, says President Rupiah Banda’s son, Andrew, who is a diplomat in Rome.

Featuring on Breeze FM’s Political Hour recently, Andrew who was clarifying
speculations that he wanted to contest Chipata Central parliamentary seat on MMD
ticket, said he had no intentions of contesting a parliamentary seat.

“It will be unfair really; my father is President of the country I also want to stand as member of parliament. Is it a monarchy?

Is it fair to the 13 million Zambians, is it fair to the people of Chipata?” Andrew asked. He said some people do not go into politics for service but for their own
enrichment and that he was not like that.

“I came here to clear (the air). Honourable (Lameck) Mangani Phiri (Chipata Central MMD parliamentarian) is my brother, and I am going to call him after this and tell him that my brother please go ahead and stand, I am not going to stand.

If you want my support I am available and I will also plead with him that our father, the President, he has a very big heart for my brother, whatever could have happened I don’t know,” Andrew said.

He said he did not want to be judged by the standards of other people.

“If other civil servants came back and said they want to stand I am not them. I am Andrew…Even my appointment (as diplomat) has nothing to do with my father. I was appointed by former president Chiluba and Mwanawasa and my own my father was not there you know that,” Andrew said.

He claimed that people were using him and Mangani to try and break President Banda. Andrew said he went on air to clear insinuations that he was eyeing Chipata Central not as a diplomat but as Andrew Banda.