MMD, UPND can't frustrate PF policies - Guy Scott

MMD, UPND can't frustrate PF policies - Guy Scott
By Kombe Chimpinde
Mon 03 Oct. 2011, 16:30 CAT

THE MMD and UPND do not have a solid front to be able to frustrate the ruling PF's key policies that may come up in Parliament, says Vice-President Guy Scott.

Vice-President Scott in an interview at his residence in Lusaka's New Kasama yesterday said that the ruling PF was ahead of things and on top of the opposition MMD and UPND pact aimed at frustrating its key policies in Parliament in view of its parliamentary minority.

Rupiah Banda on Friday held a meeting with fellow opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema to finalise their parties' voting pact in Parliament directed at frustrating the ruling party's key policies that may arise in the House.

The number of seats currently held by the PF stand at 60, 55 for the MMD, 28 for the UPND , one each for ADD and FDD with three independents. The PF being the ruling party also has the privilege of eight nominations to add to their 60 seats.

"Now you notice that we have appointed a number of MMD members of parliament as deputy ministers. It was late president Mr Mwanawasa who taught us that trick. Mwanawasa in 2001 and 2002 did not have a majority in Parliament because there all these with other parties. So he did not have a clear majority of a good Cabinet in his own party so he ‘stole' from other parties and eventually had control of House, so yes it is unfortunate that democracy works like that but it is also fortunate that the President has flexibility," said Vice-President Scott who will be leader of government business when the House resumes sitting.

Dr Scott said PF was not threatened by the pact, adding that both parties' ploy would earn them the hatred of the Zambians.

"If they frustrate our policies, they will be frustrating pro-poor policies, pro-employment policies that would ensure we have drugs available in hospitals, the Freedom of Information Bill and so forth," Vice-President Scott said.

"There have already been people raising issues that ‘how can Guy Scot act as president when the President is out of the country, he does not have the qualifications of the President because his parents were not born in Zambia. Now there is nothing in the Constitution which says that if someone is acting as President has to fulfil the qualifications of the President. Article 33 in the Constitution refers to your qualifications to be a candidate in an election for presidency but people are trying to stir the mud."

Dr Scott said that his party was aware of the manoeuvres, further disclosing that UPND members had approached top leadership of the ruling party to register their displeasure with the planned voting pact.

"There is a lot of work to do so we need cooperation. We need helpful chairing of meetings by the Speaker. If the opposition is simply going to get excited and start talking about impeaching someone who has just been elected ... I got a call from some top leadership in UPND saying, that they will not support this nonsense, they have said that if it is true they were not personally going to go along with it. So they are saying let's talk and I agree, how we are going to vote?" He said.

"If they can find a constructive way forward good luck to them, if they can find a destructive way, the people that will be destroyed are them. Zambians are not in the mood to tolerate this kind of school boy bickering. We (PF) were elected for our policies but they now want to frustrate the policies on which the government has been appointed so the people will question them (pact). If they want to lose their relevance, let them go about that way.

He said that the MMD and UPND currently lacked a solid front to be able to frustrate the PF.

"They don't have a solid front. See how easy it is to pick deputy MPs from the MMD; it means they are not a solid front. One MP has resigned before he is even sworn in and there will be more of that. I don't think they can put up a solid war and if they do, they earn their hatred over the people absolutely," said Vice-President Scott.