Maravi

Kunda misses being Republican vice-president

Kunda misses being Republican vice-president
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 18 Jan. 2012, 13:59 CAT

GEORGE Kunda says he misses being Republican vice-president and that he would have preferred to serve for a longer period than the three years he served on the position.

During hearing of the matter being presided over by High Court judge Mugeni Siwale Mulenga, in which losing PF Muchinga Constituency parliamentary candidate John Chama has challenged Kunda's election as area member of parliament, Kunda portrayed some nostalgic tendencies over the vice presidency.

Asked by the petitioner's lawyer, Mumba Kapumpa during cross-examination if he missed being Vice-President, a fidgety Kunda replied in the affirmative.

"Of course I miss being Vice-President. I only served for three years, I would have preferred to serve for a longer period," said Kunda, as his wife, Ireen stared at him from the public gallery.

Kapumpa said he sensed some nostalgia in Kunda when he was giving a litany of privileges and entitlements that came with the Office of Vice-President.

In his evidence-in-chief led by Sunday Nkonde, Kunda said he believes he won the elections fairly.

Kunda 55, a resident of plot number 8892 in Lusaka's New Kasama, said the petitioner, Chama was literally unknown in Muchinga Constituency.

Kunda said because of the privileges and entitlements that came with his office, like using public resources during the election period, he was able to go to the entire Muchinga Constituency.

"Unfortunately, these are privileges of incumbency. I was entitled to such privileges, I believe by law I could use government transport. It was my condition of service," Kunda said. "This had happened to previous vice-presidents and it is applying to the current Vice-President."

Kunda recalled that PF Secretary General, Wynter Kabimba challenged him over the issue in the High Court but that the court ruled that he was allowed to use public resources in an electoral campaign period in line with the Electoral Code of Conduct.

Kunda, who said he was not a resident of Muchinga Constituency serve for the house he built for his parents in Muzamani Village, said he had very little contact with party cadres during the campaign period because of his security detail.

"That a chopper made it possible for me to visit the entire constituency, vast as it was, several times. I campaigned in all the polling stations whether they were in the mountains," Kunda said

Kunda also said there was nowhere in the laws where the donation of items during the campaign period was prohibited.

"I believe I won fairly," Kunda said.

"During the campaign there was no complaint whatsoever. We had a conflict management system and there were no complaints whatsoever."

Kunda said the development projects taking place in Muchinga were at the government's behest budgeted for in 2010 and that they could not have stopped because of an election.

Kunda said politicians, but controlling officers, were not involved in the process to tender for government contracts.

In cross-examination, Kunda failed to state the specific section in the Electoral Code of Conduct that allowed a Vice-President to use government resources during election campaign periods.

Judge Mulenga has set April 4, 2012 as the day of judgment in the petition hearing.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA

posted by MrK @ 12:29 PM