Maravi

Rupiah’s campaign launch speech was uninspiring - Fr Luonde

Rupiah’s campaign launch speech was uninspiring - Fr Luonde
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Thu 04 Aug. 2011, 14:00 CAT

Fr Richard Luonde has described President Rupiah Banda’s message at the launch of his 2011 MMD campaigns as empty and uninspiring. Fr Luonde, a Kitwe-based Anglican priest, said Zambians were not interested in politics of malicious attacks on the PF leader Michael Sata which the President engaged in during the launch of his campaigns at Lusaka’s Hotel Intercontinental.

Fr Luonde said President Banda was expected to demonstrate true leadership by committing himself to upholding the fundamental tenets of democracy and rule of law ahead of the elections.

He said it was sad that the President had continued to ignore serious offences that MMD cadres had committed by threatening violence ahead of the polls.

“My message is that we can do better as a nation without the MMD because it is now apparent that they have nothing to offer the nation. We are dealing with tyrannical leadership here,” said Fr Luonde in an interview on Tuesday.

“The President failed to give people hope for a better future or sustainable peace after the elections. His cadres have continued to threaten violence, the lives of people he perceives to be his rivals like Sylvia Masebo, Mike Mulongoti and others are threatened and he has decided to remain quiet about it and it seems his major preoccupation is to retain political power which is regrettable.”

He said Zambians must vote for a president who would prioritise the country’s interests.

Fr Luonde said time had come for the people to exercise their powers by voting for credible leaders who would take the country to another level in terms of democracy and good governance because the MMD had failed.

Fr Luonde said the electorate must always remind themselves that the MMD government had failed to meet the demands of majority Zambians on many issues such as the fight against corruption and misplacement of priorities for the majority poor population.

President Banda launched his 2011 MMD campaigns with attacks on Sata and The Post.

Labels: RICHARD LUONDE, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:35 PM