The opposition United Party for National Development has accused government of deliberately poorly planning the Milanzi and Mufumbwe Parliamentary by-elections in order to manipulate the electoral process.

Party spokesperson, Charles Kakoma said preparations ahead of the forthcoming elections have been recklessly handled and that government is to blame.

Mr. Kakoma cited the controversy surrounding the printing of the ballot papers as one such indication of poor planning.
He said the ballot papers would have been printed within the country but government has deliberately decided to print them abroad so that it can easily manipulate the process.

Mr Kakoma said his party seriously suspects manipulation in the entire process leading to the by-elections. But AVAP executive director, Bonnie Tembo has defended the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s preparations ahead of the by-elections describing them as satisfactory and up to standard

He however says there are lessons to be learnt from every election process and that as the nation looks forward to the 2011 elections,it is imperative that everyone is open minded.

He also calls on stakeholders to play their part and not just leave it to government if the election process is to develop to the quality standards required.

QFM

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has said the escalating violence in Mufumbwe by-election between UPND and MMD cadres has left nine people injured and hospitalized in various clinics.

Fodep Information Officer Macdonald Chipenzi said in a statement today that such acts were barbaric, uncalled for, should be curtailed immediately, and the perpetrators should punished.

Chipenzi said the violence has exposed the weaknesses and ineffective of the electoral code of conduct, which he describes as an affront to holding free and fair elections.

He disclosed that FODEP monitors on the ground in Mufumbwe have observed that violence was being instigated by MMD and UPND supporters have left nine people hospitalized.

Mr Chipenzi alleged that some traditional leaders are also instigating some of their subjects to beat up opposition supporters.

He said FODEP is displeased at the involvement of traditional leaders, whether indirect or direct, in intimidating their subjects into supporting certain political parties.

The Information officer urged the traditional leaders that they are supposed to be neutral and allow their subjects a chance to make their own independent choices.

He stated that it is unfortunate that political parties seeking votes from people are at the forefront of exerting pressure in terms of medical bills to families and on some health centres in Mufumbwe to treat increased casualties a result of political violence.

Mr. Chipenzi says FODEP calls on the police in the area to consider stepping up their efforts in maintaining law and order before lives are lost.

He appealed to participating political parties in Mufumbwe to employ non-violent campaign strategies, to preach unity, peace, and to coexist.
[ QFM ]

United Party for National Development (UPND) spokesperson Charles Kakoma has observed that the country is currently in a crisis because the ruling MMD has failed to provide the Zambian people with a satisfactory political leadership.

Mr. Kakoma said in an interview that everything in the country is falling apart owing to the fact that the current government has not invested the desired will to make things right and offer the required guidance.

He said this is the very reason that Zambians have decided to give the UPND/PF pact the support because it is a clear fact that there is very little they are getting from the MMD government.

Mr. Kakoma observed that the pact has continued to give the party sleepless nights due to its impact on the political front because of its power to set the political tone.

He accused the MMD of resorting to political violence and threats after realizing that the pact is finally taking its toll on the ruling party.
[Q FM]

President Rupiah Banda has appealed to the people of Milanzi to give the MMD Government chance to complete the projects being undertaken in the constituency by voting for the ruling party’s candidate Whiteson Banda in the April 29 by-election.

The president said yesterday that he was confident the people of Milanzi would vote for Mr Banda because of the many development projects the Government had introduced in the area.

Speaking when he addressed his first political rally to drum up support for the MMD candidate at Kafumbwe High School grounds yesterday, President Banda urged the people of Milanzi not to be swayed by promises of opposition political parties but to continue supporting the Government.

He said the Government had built a number of schools and clinics, including the sinking of boreholes in the constituency.
“I feel confident that you people of Milanzi you are going to cast your vote for the MMD candidate in this by-election because of the tremendous work the MMD Government has done in the constituency,” he said.

The president, who had earlier held a private meeting with chiefs who included Kathumba and Mbang’ombe and a number of village headmen, said he had taken note of the request made by the traditional leaders that they needed more schools, clinics, a good road network and improved water sanitation in the area.

He assured the people of Milanzi the Government was committed to serving them and taking development to the area and the whole Zambia.

Mr Banda said it was unfortunate the people of Milanzi had to go to the polls again after a year, adding that the late Milanzi Member of Parliament, Reuben Banda did not have enough time to complete development projects in the constituency.

He urged them to vote for the MMD candidate so that the Government could continue with projects.

Mr Banda said it was not possible for any person to take development to all parts of the constituency in one year. The MMD Government needed more time to complete the projects that had been initiated in the constituency.

He said he too was not satisfied with the levels of development which the Government had so far recorded and would like to seek another term of office to serve the people of Zambia.

“If I am selected by my party, I am ready to contest the 2011 elections so that I can defeat the opposition leaders and continue serving the people of Zambia,” Mr Banda said.

He said he would like to seek another term of office to create more jobs and build more schools throughout Zambia.
He assured farmers the crop marketing season would start soon to prevent them from being cheated by unscrupulous buyers.
Mr Banda is today expected to hold another rally at Kawaza and Kagoro basic schools.

Among the people who attended the rally were Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani, MMD campaign manager, Eustarckio Kazonga, Eastern Province Minister Isaac Banda, Education Minister Dora Siliya, Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Allan Mbewe, MMD provincial chairperson Kennedy Zulu, and Home Affairs Deputy Minister, David Phiri.

[ Times of Zambia ]

Catholic Apostolic Church of Zambia president Archbishop Anzanga Mbewe has charged that Roman Catholic Priests have been involved in homosexual scandals because the Church has been encouraging ‘homosexuality’.

Speaking to Qfm in an interview, Archbishop Mbewe said homosexuality has allegedly been adopted in the Roman Catholic Church because having sexual relations among men leaves no mark to show a sexual act happened.

He says it is for this reason that catholic priests in Europe go for small boys and other men to satisfy their sexual desires.

Archbishop Mbewe however says the situation is different in Africa and some parts of Asia where Catholic priests go for heterosexuality.

And Archbishop Mbewe who was once a catholic priest says it is a mistake for the Roman Catholic Church to put a compulsory rule that priests in the church must not marry.

He says the rule was contrary to God’s purpose when he created a man and a woman to complement each other.

He adds that it is for this reason that sex scandals involving priests in the Catholic Church have never stopped occurring because the rule not to allow priests to marry was against God’s wisdom

QFM

The MMD has accused the PF/UPND pact of buying votes with meat at the on-going Mufumbwe and Milanzi parliamentary by-election campaigns.

MMD National Chairman Michael Mabenga told Q fm in an interview that the MMD are aware that the UPND has been buying cattle for the residents in the two respective areas since the campaigns started.

And Mr. Mabenga has refuted assertions by Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata that the MMD cadres’ attempt to run over Mr. Sata with a vehicle in Milanzi was an attempt by President Rupiah Banda and his government to kill Mr. Sata and Mr. Hichilema.

Mr. Mabenga said the vehicle that hit Mr. Sata’s vehicle belonged to the Patriotic Front and not the MMD.

Mabenga also said there was no damage caused on Mr. Sata’s vehicle.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mabenga accused the Post Newspaper of writing false stories.

He said the Post newspaper misinformed the nation that the vehicle that hit into Mr. Sata’s vehicle belonged to the MMD when in fact not.

QFM

Suspended Kafulafuyta Member of Parliament, George Mpombo has described as a blunder of major proportion ,President Rupiah Banda’s claims of being the MMD party presidency.

Mr. Mpombo told QFM radio in an interview that it is an error of the highest capacity for president Banda to want to think that he is more than just an acting president in the MMD.

He said that Mr. Banda should follow the footsteps of his predecessor and observe the laid down party constitution procedures in attaining party presidency.

Mr.Mpombosaid that someone is lying and misinforming the republican president that he is also capable of taking party leadership just because he is a national leader.

Mr. Mpombo also bemoaned what he termed as lack of dialogue between key players and poor party organization in the ruling party.

He also noted that there has been very little attention given to addressing concerns that have been raised over the tactics that certain political leaders within MMD are using to evade the national convention which is expected to clear the air on who is to take presidency.

He says that questions on who is taking presidency in the MMD before the next tripartite elections are signaled, is an issue that needs to be cleared because the situation is very blur at the moment.

[QFM]

Late Home Affairs deputy minister Misheck Bonshe’s widow, Regina has said she is deeply hurt by people who are alleging that the government neglected her husband at the time he was ill, in order to gain political mileage.

Mrs Bonshe said her family received support from the government and the MMD during her husband’s illness. She said her late husband should be left to rest in peace. She dismissed assertions that the government condemned and neglected her husband at the time he was hospitalised at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.
“Politicians using the name of my late husband should stop because he had no problems with the government. If anything the government representatives were always there to support us. They were always there both emotionally and spiritually. So it is unfair for some politicians to use his name for their selfish gains without considering our feelings,” she said.

She said in an interview in Lusaka that she was hurt and saddened by some people who were using the name of her late husband to gain political support. Mrs Bonshe said she was still mourning her husband and expected people to respect her and the children’s feelings during the trying period. She said it was unfair to her and the children for politicians to use Mr Bonshe’s death to scandalise the government.

Mrs Bonshe said although she had tried to ignore the media comments from some politicians about the death of her husband, the persistence forced her to speak out and tell the nation the truth.
“When he was sick the MMD leadership and ministers, especially Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani and his deputy, Mr David Phiri were always at hand visiting my husband and this cannot be ignored,” she said.
She explained that from the time her husband was buried in Mufumbwe, only ministers’ spouses and MMD party women had continued to visit her at her home.

“I want to take this opportunity to inform the nation that my husband was a Christian and a peaceful man. His vision was to see a peaceful and united Zambia and I don’t think if he was alive he would like his name to be drawn in the mud,” she said. She said Mr Bonshe had so much confidence in the MMD leadership and President Rupiah Banda and did not have any problem with the government, contrary to media reports.

In the last edition of the Sunday Post, the brother of Mr Bonshe was reported to have said he only saw leaders of opposition parties at the time Mr Bonshe was hospitalised in UTH and that there was no Cabinet minister who visited the late deputy minister in hospital.
He was also quoted as having said the government had condemned Mr Bonshe to death.

Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao has also expressed shock and disappointment over the allegations, describing the reports as a political gimmick aimed at tarnishing the image of the government.
Mr Simbao said having visited Mr Bonshe five times at UTH, he was surprised that some people were claiming that Cabinet ministers never visited him.
He advised politicians not to politicise Mr Bonshe’s death.
[Times of Zambia]