Maravi

Mulongoti wants to be president, not minister

Mulongoti wants to be president, not minister
By Kombe Chimpinde
Wed 19 Sep. 2012, 10:30 CAT

MIKE Mulongoti says his ultimate ambition is to become Republican president.
And Mulongoti says he sees the abuse of office clause as a double-edged sword.

Featuring on a ZNBC Radio 4 programme yesterday, Mulongoti, who is former works and supply minister in Rupiah Banda's regime, said he was surprised that that they were assertions that he wanted a job as a Cabinet minister from President Michael Sata after campaigning for him in 2011.

Mulongoti, who was expelled from MMD and government last year by Banda, said there was nothing exciting about having a mere position in government for him other than that of president.

"Let me say this; when I left MMD, I was fighting to become vice-president and ultimately president. I was not fighting to become Cabinet minister. I already had that job, I have been a minister since 1996," he said.

Mulongoti said there was nothing wrong with having the presidential dream because it was his constitutional entitlement.

"This discomforted people in MMD who were in office...," he said.

"Like always in Africa, people want to believe that when they are there, the others can't be there but surely it is an entitlement enshrined in the Constitution."

Mulongoti said he wanted to become president through a normal channels.

"The Constitution provides that every after a while, there will be change of leadership and new people are free to embark on that journey. This is my position," he said.

But when asked if he was insinuating he would become leader of the PF at some point, Mulongoti responded; "How could I be because I am not a member of the Patriotic Front."

"You can't aspire to be in that position if you are not one of them. If they extend a privilege to you, it's one thing but you can't demand for it," he said.

Mulongoti observed that there were some activities and events pointing to the fact that there was intolerance on the part of the government and lack of creation of space for other political players to operate.

"The right to belong to any party was and should not be at the benevolence of any individual but the Constitution," he said.

"So when you begin to use muscles like state apparatus, like the police to inhibit these free arrangements, it's not right," he said.

Mulongoti said any government must be cognizant of the fact that it was like a punching bag or a rubbish pit where all manner of litter was being thrown.

"So you (government) must develop a thick skin and defend your programmes. A chief government spokesperson must speak every day, pick questions and answer patiently with a lot of confidence," he said.

And Mulongoti said the abuse of office clause defeated the whole purpose and concept of the constitutional provision that provided that one was innocent until proven guilty.

"I can tell you why they courted the Constitution in that manner, where you are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty, was that there is this belief that the state is stronger than you. The state has got all the facilities, they can invest," he explained.

"They can call witnesses. When you are accused and they say, you are guilty until proven innocent, it's a tall order. For instance you are in the cells, where do you get people and witnesses to come and support you? As soon as you are incarcerated, people run away from you. The framers of the Constitution in their wisdom realised the state, with the capacity must be the one to hunt for the fault."

Mulongoti said he had welcomed it with reservations as it would backfire adding that "let us watch and see as we go, whether that sword is intended to spear others and unspear the one who brings it."

Labels: MIKE MULONGOTI, MMD

posted by MrK @ 1:46 PM