Drug Enforcement Commission-DEC- Chief Investigations Officer under the Anti-Money Laundering unit Frank Tayali has been dismissed for breaching the code of conduct for officers in the Commission.

Mr Tayali was suspended last year to pave way for investigations into allegations that he solicited for a bribe from a suspect.

DEC Public Relations Manager John Nyawali has told ZNBC in a statement that the termination of Mr Tayali’s employment is with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, A 34 year old Zambian businesswoman risks a possible death penalty after being arrested in China for drug trafficking.

Monica Seketi was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport for trafficking in over 700 grams of cocaine.

Ms Seketi becomes a second Zambian woman to be arrested in China for drug trafficking after Mary Musiyalike was sentenced to death by firing squad about two years ago.

China has one of the toughest drug laws in the world with a minimum sentence of death by hanging or firing squad.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has accused the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) of looting the national treasury in the run-up to the national elections.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma says that the UPND has evidence that the MMD has gotten bicycles meant for the poor people.

Mr. Kakoma discloses that the MMD has forcefully gotten bicycles from the ministry of community development and social services, and redistributed to the MMD candidates to entice them to vote for them.

Mr. Kakoma in an interview with QFM radio further discloses that the MMD has also gotten money meant for women’s clubs to aid its campaigns.

He says that the action by the MMD cannot entirely be described as corruption, but also plunder of national resources for selfish gains.

Mr. Kakoma has warned Zambians against voting for a political party that is plundering resources meant for national use.

He has expressed sadness that the MMD is selfishly campaigning using tax payer’s money at the expense of the poor Zambians

QFM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he will not allow anybody to derail the 2011 tripartite elections on flimsy grounds.

Mr Banda said when he addressed a mammoth rally in Nakonde yesterday that he would not listen to the same people who relentlessly pressed for the announcement of the election date but were now searching for reasons to have the elections delayed.

The Patriotic Front has recently sued the MMD starting with challenging the party for floating president Banda alleging that his parents were not Zambian.

The PF also challenged the continued stay in office of vice-president George Kunda. But the High Court has since dismissed the two legal suits.

President Banda said the MMD, as a ruling party, could have found every reason to delay the elections but because it believes in good governance and democratic principles, it had allowed the elections to be held this year.

President Banda said the Government had played its part by making all the necessary arrangements to have the elections conducted in a free and fair environment.

“We are a ruling party and we could have found every reason to delay the elections. The MMD mandate expires this year and our Constitution demands that we must have elections where we are going to choose our leaders.

“We have done our part and put everything in place for the Zambians to choose their leaders,” President Banda said.

He told the crowd that attended the rally at Nakonde Civic Centre that although a lot had been achieved in only three years that he had been Head of State, he was not satisfied.

He said Zambians should give him a five-year mandate so that he could continue steering the country’s economy and give the people the best service.

President Banda said the people of Nakonde should entrust him with the Republican presidency and also allow the MMD to continue guiding the nation.

“Trust me and my leadership and vote for me and the MMD in the coming elections. We shall overcome the challenges facing the country. We are determined to build schools, hospitals and roads,” Mr Banda said.

He also told the people to allow other political parties to talk to them so that they could be judged for what they were.

The president said he was happy that the rural farmers had responded to the Farmer Input Support Programme which had resulted in the country recording two consecutive bumper harvests.

[Times of Zambia]

VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda has said Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba is ignorant of the law and that is why he took frivolous cases against him and President Rupiah Banda to court.

And Mr Kunda has said calls for change of Government by the opposition are unfounded as the MMD Government has remained steadfast in fostering national development.

Addressing a rally at Kapeshi Basic School grounds in Serenje yesterday, Mr Kunda said it was illogical for Mr Kabimba and his cronies to challenge the parentage of President Banda now when he is Head of State and has been a minister before.

He said the opposition PF had failed to garner support from the Zambian people ahead of the September 20 elections that is why it has desperately resorted to going to court over cases it knows it could never win.

“They have gone to court to try and stop President Banda as a candidate allegedly on a basis that his parents are not Zambian when he is already our president.

“He has been minister before, he was elected president in 2008 and surely today they say he does not qualify to stand? Does it make any sense? No, but they are just confused,” Mr Kunda said.

He said the action by the PF and Mr Kabimba to take President Banda to court was malicious and that it was not surprising that it was thrown out.

“I am a State counsel myself and I knew that there was no way he could win such a case, which was malicious. Kabimba is mischievous. He misled everybody over the case and now it has been thrown out,” Mr Kunda said.

He said Zambia needed President Banda because he was hard-working and was governing the country well.

Mr Kunda said after Mr Kabimba and his sympathisers lost the parentage case against President Banda, he decided to take him to court on grounds that he should cease to be vice-president.

“The court action was malicious and vindictive that was why it was summarily dismissed. It was an ignorant action by Kabimba.

“These people are really scared of me and President Banda that is why they are acting desperately,” he said.

He said the people of Zambia had seen that the MMD Government was working well in developing Zambia and they would re-elect President Banda and his team.

Mr Kunda said there was no need to remove the MMD from power because the ruling party was ably delivering on its promises.

“The opposition has nothing to offer other than empty promises. What change are they talking about when we are already delivering on development as MMD?” he said.

[Times of Zambia]

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says disclosing the source of funding by political parties would help enhance transparency and accountability among all the political parties.

FODEP president Alex Ng’oma tells QFM that lack of a legal framework to compel political parties risks the country having political parties receiving funding from the unscrupulous people.

He adds that disclosing of sources of funding should not only be imposed on selected political parties but that all parties taking part in the electoral process.

Dr. N’goma however, notes that disclosing of funding as at now is at the discretion of the political parties as there is no law to compel them.

Dr. N’goma observes it will therefore be important for country to come up with a legal framework that will help monitor resource inflow of the political parties.

QFM

Members of the team constituted to monitor the printing of ballot papers for the 20 September general elections have started arriving in South Africa.

Electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ) public relations manager Cris Akufuna has told QFM in a telephone interview from South Africa that members of the team started arriving in Durban on Sunday and by press time others were expected to arrive yesterday.

Mr. Akufuna notes that the team includes the various stakeholders from the civil society political parties and the public and private media among others.

Mr. Akufuna however could not give further details saying he could only be able to give more details on the process of printing ballot papers commences.

The ECZ has contracted Universal Print group of South Africa to print the ballot papers for the for this year’s elections a move that has received criticism from the opposition political parties such as the PF.

QFM

Former Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga says the MMD is proud of President Rupiah Banda’s achievements over the last three years.

Mr. Mwaanga has urged the people of Malambo Constituency to vote for President Banda in the September 20 polls as well as MMD aspiring candidate for the area Maxwell Mwale.

Mr. Mwaanga says he is consistent in saying that President Banda is president for all Zambians.

He adds that it is further an honour for the people of Eastern Province to produce a President.

He was speaking during a public rally at Mfuwe International Airport grounds on Sunday.

And United Liberal Party-ULP Leader Sakwiba Sikota has called on the people of Mambwe District not to vote for politicians that have called them names before.

Mr. Sikota says Patriotic Front-PF Leader Michael Sata had alleged that government was wasting time and money in constructing the Chipata-Mfuwe road which only led to where animals live.

And former Vice President Enock Kavindele says the people of North Western Province are happy with the unprecedented levels of development embarked on by President Banda.

And Malambo parliamentary candidate Maxwell Mwale has appealed to people in the area to re-elect him so that he can complete development programmes embarked on by President Banda.

[ZNBC]