THE MMD in Masaiti District has resolved to float late president Levy Mwanawasa’s son Patrick as parliamentary candidate for Kafulufuta constituency in the 2011 general elections.

Area MMD chairperson Michael Katambo said since current MP George Mpombo had lost popularity, the party decided to float Patrick as parliamentary candidate for the 2011 elections.

He said in an interview yesterday that the decision was arrived at after several meetings at grass root level where the proposal to float Patrick was supported by the majority.

“We want to uphold the legacy of late president Mwanawasa by floating his son as Kafulafuta MP and because he is a committed member of the party,” Mr Katambo said.

When contacted Mr Mpombo said he did not care, as it was too early for the party to endorse anyone for next year’s elections.

And Patrick said he was interested in Kafulafuta constituency but would only comment if the MMD national executive committee (NEC) or ordinary residents of the area raised the matter.

“I won’t say much until higher authorities say so. I hold the people of Kafulafuta closely and dearly to my heart,” he said.

Mr Katambo said Mr Mpombo had lost favour in the constituency hence the need to replace him with somebody people would accept.

He urged Mr Mpombo to stop telling the people that he single handedly influenced the construction of schools and health institution in the area because the projects were part of government’s nation wide plans to deliver services to the people.

Mr Mpombo held a meeting in Kafulafuta constituency last weekend where he alleged that he had single handedly initiated the development in the area.

[pullquote]And Patrick said he was interested in Kafulafuta constituency but would only comment if the MMD national executive committee (NEC) or ordinary residents of the area raised the matter.[/pullquote]

“How can he claim to have single handedly influenced the development, it is not true, those are part of government projects being taken countrywide,” Mr Katambo said.

The Government was constructing a high school at Masangano area and upgrading Sankute clinic into a district hospital.

Mr Katambo said the district had also resolved not to vote for Mr Mpombo for any position at the next convention.

But Mr Mpombo said he was the one who initiated the projects by lobbying the Government.

He said he had a meeting in the constituency to explain to the electorate the reason why he resigned as Defence minister and that he was still MMD.

“I had a meeting to explain certain things to the electorate, I told them that l am still MMD and nobody is going to push me. And believe me I did not speak anything ill against president Banda during the meeting,” Mr Mpombo said.

He said he was still popular in the area and he was sure of retaining the seat if he contested.

And the MMD has started holding elections at various party structures as a build up to the national convention that takes place soon after the provincial executive committees.

MMD chairperson for elections Mike Mulongoti said he had directed that all elections for executive committees should take place by 15 July 2010 in all the constituencies that have not held them.

These would be followed by district after which provincial elections that would be addressed by President Rupiah Banda would be held.

He said in a media release in Lusaka yesterday that the elections must be held by next month in a memorandum addressed to all provincial and district chairpersons.

“This serves to inform you that party elections for all the executive committees should be held by 15 July 2010 in all the constituencies that have not held them to date,” Mr Mulongoti said.

The provincial executives have already declared President Banda the sole presidential candidate while other interested members are still allowed to contest the position.

[Times of Zambia]

National Constitutional Conference (NCC) chairman Chifumu Banda has urged Zambians to read and understand the draft constitution without getting too personal.

Mr. Banda says that the public should use the 40 days period to make comments and contribute to the making of Zambia’s constitution.

He added that it is important that Zambians should be sober and that whatever comments and contributions will be made will be taken on board.

Speaking on ‘Public’s Last Say’ last evening, Mr. Banda stated that the anger from the people will not make a change and that the only way that the country will move forward with the constitution is by making contributions.

And Mr. Banda has defended the draft constitution saying that nothing much has changed from the Mungomba draft constitution.
[ QFM]

The Patriotic Front has accused Chief Justice Ernest Sakala of intending to deny party president Michael Sata fair election results in next year’s elections
The Chief Justice is the returning officer for the presidential elections.

In a telephone interview with QFM, PF National Youth Secretary General, Eric Chanda, said the refusal by the Chief Justice to shake hands with Mr. Sata is a clear indication that Mr. Sakala has unjust and partial intentions to deny the PF leader a fair election.

Mr. Chanda said the Chief Justice as a returning officer in the presidential election should not have personal grudges with presidential aspirants regardless of their political affiliation. He said the office of the Chief Justice demands fairness and impartiality in the execution of duties.

And Mr. Chanda has called for the immediate resignation of Chief Justice Ernest Sakala on grounds that he refused to shake hands with PF leader Michael Sata.

He said the resignation of the Chief Justice should be on ethical and professional grounds since his action degrades people’s confidence in the office of the Chief Justice.

On Wednesday Chief Justice Ernest Sakala refused to shake hands with Patriotic Front president Michael Sata at the requiem mass of retired Supreme Court judge Peter Chitengi at Saint Ignatius Church in Lusaka.
[Q FM]

The opposition Patriotic Front PF has described the release of the Draft Constitution to the public by the National Constitution Conference NCC as a mockery.

The NCC on Tuesday released to the public the Initial Report of the Conference,the Draft Constitution, and the Summary of the Resolutions of the Conference, giving the public 40 days in which to make their observations and contributions towards the draft constitution.

But PF Spokesperson Given Lubinda observed that the rush to release the draft document to the public has not been done in good faith but merely to justify the huge expenditures National Constitutional Conference has incurred during its deliberations.

Mr. Lubinda told QFM in an interview that the NCC has spent colossal amounts of money deliberating over recommendations of the Mung’omba Constitutional Review Commission.

He also stated that it is clear that the whole process of the NCC has been marred with a lot of inconsistencies that has led to the failure by the delegates to come up with a people driven legal document.

He added that Zambians expected so much from the NCC that the huge resources invested in the process have not yielded anything to meet the expectations of the people after making progressive recommendations to the Mung’omba CRC.

And Forum for Progressive Politics (FPP) have welcomed the newly launched draft constitution. FPP Secretary General Charles Kafumbo said the forum was happy with the 40 days given to the public to make submissions which would be considered in the final document.

He said the period given was long enough for people to read and understand the document but expressed worry that very few were likely to submit because they had no access to the document especially in rural areas.

He said the decision by Government to allow the District Commissioners’ offices to avail the draft constitution to the public would disadvantage the rural community who could not manage to travel to a district to access the document. Mr. Kafumbo noted that Government should have taken the document to all constituency offices, if the rural community was to fully articipate in the exercise adding that the process would not yield desired results failure to avail it to people at the grassroot level.

He observed that the National Constitution Conference (NCC) process has cost the country huge sums of money which he said could only be beneficial if all citizens added their voice to the document. He stated that at the stage the document had reached it was irreversible as huge public resources had already been spent saying Government should be prepared to spend even more to let every Zambian access the document.

He said Government should consider printing more copies and also translating it into local languages to enable more people
to read it. In another development, Mr. Kafumbo said the voter registration was faced with low turn out because of lack of information on the exercise to the community.

He said people in the community did not know where to find the centers adding that Electoral Commission of Zambia should do more publicity in the community. He said the people in the community could not afford to buy a newspaper in order for them to ascertain the centres saying advertising in the papers would only reach selective individuals.

He advised ECZ to use the vehicles they have been given to sensitise people in the community as the only way to improve voter registration turn out. But when contacted for a comment, ECZ Public Relations Manager Cris Akufuna said the commission is doing everything possible to publicise the exercise around the country.

Editor’s Note

Due to many requests, LT has created a link for people to download the full Draft Constitution Document as it is not clear on where to download it from the NCC website

Use the link below to download the 301 page Draft Constititution report

http://www.lusakatimes.com/draftConstitution.pdf

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy, MMD, has demanded for a complaint in writing from any concerned stakeholder calling on the party control or discipline its Lusaka Province Chairman William Banda.

In a telephone interview with QFM, MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga expresses ignorance about complaints by some stakeholders over the conduct of Mr William Banda, stressing that the party is not aware of any complaints about the MMD Lusaka provincial chairman being a danger to national peace.

He says those complaining about Mr. William Banda should write to the MMD explaining what they want the party to do.

Mr. Mabenga who kept on diverting from the questions accused the QFM reporters of reading out the questions to him instead of explaining what they wanted from him.

Mr. Mabenga failed to give the party’s stance on the matter, accusing the reporters of being indiscipline, almost turning the interview into a misunderstanding.

He also insisted that he be given the names of those complaining about Mr. William Banda conduct.

But when given some names of political parties and Civil Society Organizations that have been calling for the disciplining of Mr. Banda, Mr. Mabenga challenged those complaining to put their complaints in writing.

He says the party will only act when it receives written complaints, and not through the media.

Recently, MISA Zambia appealed to the MMD leadership, including President Rupiah Banda, to check Mr. William Banda’s excesses, describing him as ‘a senior cadre with a reputation of thuggish behaviour dating back to his days as Lusaka District Governor, under the former ruling party, UNIP’.

And several other Civil Society Organizations and most Political Parties have been calling for President Rupiah Banda to control Mr. Banda on grounds that his political style has become a recipe for anarchy in the country.

Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says Republican President Rupiah Banda deserves to be given credit for taking time to watch the Fifa World Cup games in South Africa.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha said the President has been working very hard for the country and deserved some relaxation by taking time to watch the world cup game involving Brazil and Ivory Coast.

He said President Banda has worked so hard to grow the economy, and that condemning his trip to South Africa is unfortunate.

Gen. Shikapwasha told QFM that it is surprising that Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata is condemning Presidents Banda’s visit to South Africa. He added that the President has worked extra hard in keeping the nation’s economy afloat and his trips outside should not be politicized.

He said Zambians should debate real issues and not trivial issues that do not add any value to the growth of the nation.
[ QFM]