Maravi

Rupiah lacks moral right to discuss upholding Constitution, says M'bao

Rupiah lacks moral right to discuss upholding Constitution, says M'bao
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Sat 07 Apr. 2012, 13:29 CAT

RUPIAH Banda has no moral right to speak to the world about upholding the Constitution and democracy as his three-year rule was a disaster for Zambia, says Rev Richard M'bao.

Commenting on former president Banda's inaugural lecture at Boston University in the US where he said his administration chose to uphold the Constitution and allow the legal system exercise its authority, Rev M'bao, the chairperson of the Pastor's Forum for Eastern and Southern Africa, said Banda was generally a bad leader for Zambia, saying that was the main reason the electorate voted him out of government.

He said Banda's first lecture at Boston University could have made more sense if he confessed that his administration failed to build a Zambia that many poor people wallowing in poverty desired.

Rev M'bao said it would have made a lot of sense for Banda to use the Boston University platform to apologise to the Zambian people over the misery they were subjected to due to bad governance of his regime.

He said memories were still fresh in the minds of the Zambians that Banda, during his time as Republican president, spent more time persecuting the people he perceived to be his political enemies by abusing the legal system than attending to the plight of the poor.

Rev M'bao said there was no way the former Republican president could be talking about upholding the Constitution when he extensively abused the public media, fought hard to muzzle the private media and leaders of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) who were perceived to be anti government.

"We observed with sadness how individuals perceived to be anti-Rupiah Banda were ill-treated. We saw malicious schemes on targeted individuals. He is the very man who is at the centre of late former president Frederick Chiluba's acquittal of all corruption charges. How can he tell the world today that his administration upheld the Constitution? No! The three years was a disaster for Zambia," Rev M'bao said.

He said if Banda was doing justice and if he was a very popular leader, Zambians wouldn't have voted for the current President Michael Sata who was the main opposition leader during his tenure.

Rev M'bao said a little integrity would be added if Banda begins to tell the nation the truth that his governance system was inept and did not meet the aspirations of many Zambians.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, RICHARD M'BAO, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:04 PM