MMD, UPND still choked - Scott

MMD, UPND still choked - Scott
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 10 July 2012, 13:25 CAT

VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says there is bitterness, surprise and shock left on the part on the MMD and UPND following their electoral defeat last year. But Nevers Mumba says the only bitter politician in Zambia's history is President Michael Sata. Meanwhile, Vice-President Scott says that the issue of unemployment is costing the government sleep and weekends.

Speaking when he featured on a ZNBC Sunday Interview on Sunday night, Vice-President Scott said it was clear that the MMD and UPND were still choked by the PF victory as reflected in their recent actions.

"The MMD and the UPND are trying to re-align themselves, I think some of the things that they say are not useful. I think they are trying to stir up outsides feelings, doubts about Zambia...I think running to the foreigners is just not productive," he said in his comments over the opposition parties' recent decision to write the donor community over alleged misgovernment by the PF.

The opposition political parties led by Mumba petitioned the donor community on what they termed as concerns over the manner the PF government and President Sata were running the affairs of the country.

"They still don't believe it happened, some of them. Don't kubeba really worked well even on them. Nobody told them we are voting against you seems to be narrowly confined to Southern province…I think UPND is stuck where it is. And I think the only interesting question is whether MMD survives or it goes like UNIP. It's an uphill battle," he said.

But Mumba, the MMD's president and former Zambia's Ambassador to Canada said it was President Sata who was bitter against anyone who challenges government policies.

"He (President Sata) was bitter against Levy Mwanawasa, he was bitter against Rupiah Banda. He was always bitter in his statements. And now he is bitter with anyone who challenges government policy positions, that's why they think we are always bitter," he said.

"Even after he has been elected, he is still bitter at some of us who are trying to speak on behalf of Zambians."

Mumba said the word bitterness does not arise in the MMD because the party had moved on after the loss in last year's general elections.

"We are the people that brought democracy and we understood democracy as winning and losing," said Mumba.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Scott said the problem of unemployment was identified by the PF and that he was surprised that the opposition wanted to embarrass the PF over it.

"The MMD was denying there was anything wrong with the economy, they said the fundamentals were all correct. We said 'isn't unemployment a fundamental?' Now of course they are singing a different tune because they are in the opposition, they said 'never mind it will trickle down'," said Vice-President Scott.

"Believe me this is what costs us our sleep and costs us weekends just to see how we are going to deliver on this. Of course we cannot o deliver 100 per cent but we are going to deliver better than our predecessors."