THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and MMD have challenged Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata to disclose the location of the ballot papers he claims the party is hiding in Lusaka.

And UNIP has said the PF has already conceded defeat in the September 20 elections and is now using the printing of ballot papers in South Africa as an excuse to try and deceive the Zambian people.

During The Post Press Freedom Committee-organised newsmakers’ forum on Sunday, Mr Sata said the MMD was hiding some ballot papers in Lusaka that they want to use to manipulate the September 20 polls.

However, MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu in an interview yesterday challenged Mr Sata to report his allegations to the relevant authorities.

Mr Nyangu said the ruling MMD was not in the habit of rigging and did not even know how the process was done hence it was not right for Mr Sata to accuse MMD of hiding some ballot papers.

“If Mr Sata knows about those ballot papers he is claiming, let him come out in the open and report to the relevant authorities. He is in the better position to know and why he is not taking action. MMD is not in the habit of rigging,” Mr Nyangu said.

He said the ruling party would concentrate on issued-based campaigns.

ECZ public relations manager Cris Akufuna said in a telephone interview yesterday from Durban that a Mr Mwila from PF was among several representatives from various political parties who went to witness the printing of the ballot papers in South Africa.

He wondered why Mr Sata could allow Mr Mwila to travel to Durban if he knew MMD was hiding some ballot papers in Lusaka.

Mr Akufuna also challenged Mr Sata to reveal where the ballot papers are being hidden by the MMD.

Mr Akufuna said he and many political parties’ representatives including media were currently in Durban to witness the printing of ballot papers and he was surprised Mr Sata made such claims on the ballot papers.

He said representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs), Zambia Police Service and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) were expected to arrive in Durban yesterday in the afternoon to join other stakeholders to witness printing of ballot papers.

He said some officials from Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), journalists from institutions such as Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and Zambia News Information Services were already in Durban.

He said Mr Sata’s claim of ballot papers in Lusaka was not true because the printing process of ballot papers was yet to start after arrival of all invited stakeholders to witness the process in Durban.

Mr Sata claimed during the newsmakers forum that his party knew the location where the MMD was hiding ballot papers and would fight hard to ensure there was transparency in handling of ballot papers.

And UNIP Copperbelt provincial vice-chairperson Brian Chishimba said there was nothing sinister for ECZ to award the contract to the Universal Printing Group of Durban to?print ballot papers.

He said UPG was the same company that was contracted to print the 2008 ballot papers during 2008 presidential by-elections and that it was sad that the PF was now condemning it at the expense of various stakeholders witnessing the printing process.

Mr Chishimba said attacks on the printing of ballot papers could be an indication that PF was jittery of the elections and wanted to find a way to buy time by trying to deceive Zambians if it lost the elections.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Chishimba said when MMD finalised its parliamentary adoptions recently, PF expected some MMD aspiring candidates who were not adopted to defect to the opposition party.

“There is nothing sinister about printing of the ballot papers in Durban. In my view, I think PF are just trying to make what I would say compensation for their failed anticipation that there could be massive defections of MMD candidates to PF,” Mr Chishimba said.

[Times of Zambia]

Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata has accused government of neglecting first republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, who is reportedly sick in Windhoek, Namibia.

Mr. Sata says it is unfortunate that government has not done anything for Dr. Kaunda during his illness.

He says if it was president Rupiah Banda who was ill, government would have quickly rushed him to Cape Town for special treatment.

Mr. Sata also wondered why the Drug Enforcement Commission on Friday stopped Kaunda’s son, Waza Kaunda from leaving Lusaka for Windhoek to see his sick father.

Dr. Kaunda, who is still in hospital, is reported to be in a stable condition.

This afternoon, Government has dispatched a team of medical experts to assess the condition of first republican President Kenneth Kaunda who is hospitalised in Namibia.

The team of health experts that has left for Namibia included Dr Kaunda’s former personal physician Professor Chifumbe Chintu, Director of Emergency and Mobile Health Services Dr Welani Chilengwe and University Teaching Hospital Director Luckson Kasonka.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has told ZNBC News that the team will examine and review the condition of the former head of state.

He says government will keep the nation informed on the health of Dr Kaunda and the progress made by the medical team sent to assess his condition.

QFM

Government has dispatched a team of medical experts to assess the condition of first republican President Kenneth Kaunda who is hospitalised in Namibia.

The team of health experts that has left for Namibia includes Dr Kaunda’s former personal physician Professor Chifumbe Chintu, Director of Emergency and Mobile Health Services Dr Welani Chilengwe and University Teaching Hospital Director Luckson Kasonka.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has told ZNBC News that the team will examine and review the condition of the former head of state.

He says government will keep the nation informed on the health of Dr Kaunda and the progress made by the medical team sent to assess his condition.

ZNBC

SCORES of people who went to attend the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of the Post forum addressed by Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday at Mulungushi International Conference Centre were disappointed with Mr Sata’s hesitant responses to several questions and described him as a time waster.

Inside the conference hall and outside the building, several people who were seen moving either in a group or two were heard whispering and complaining over Mr Sata’s failure to articulate national issues properly.

Some condemned Mr Sata of diverting questions from the audience and resorted to attacking President Rupiah Banda and Vice President George Kunda.

Others were spotted holding dark corner meetings and buzzed Mr Sata’s failure to substantiate what PF would do if it was elected different from MMD’s national affairs.

Most of the youth who appeared to be students were heard saying Mr Sata should stop playing with people’s mind describing him as time waster for lack of explaining national matters in a right manner.

“Gentlemen, I thought we came here to listen to constructive things but this man (Mr Sata) kept on attacking President Banda and Mr Kunda what for? Even the way he was answering questions its like he was not prepared,” some people were over heard saying.

Mr Sata who did not look to be in a jovial mood during the forum like in most rallies or meeting he addresses gave an excuse to the audience to twist their questions if he did not respond them well.

“If I haven’t answered your question properly there is no harm for you to twist your questions again,” he said Mr Sata also refused to answer to a question from one of the members of the audience who wanted to find what stance PF would take if it lost this year’s election against the ruling MMD.

But Mr Sata instead accused the ruling MMD of hiding some ballot papers in Lusaka and that he knew the locations of the ballots and that PF would fight hard to ensure there was transparent in handling of ballot papers.

“We know the MMD is hiding some ballot papers in Lusaka and we shall expose them,” claimed Mr Sata. He said, if elected the PF would immediately facilitate enactment of the failed Republican Constitution within a period of 90 days and the national document would protect interest of all citizens.

He said Zambia needed a strong Constitution that could give dignity and empowerment to citizens and a Constitution that would restrict more powers to the president.

Mr Sata also accused the ruling MMD of buying voters cards and National Registration Cards (NRC) from some citizens especially the refugees in areas like Maheba refugee camp.

He alleged President Banda and his MMD administration have decided to purchase several motor vehicles for campaigns when the police service had fewer vehicles pointing at a police officer who was sited at the main entrance of the conference hall.

“The PF will strengthen the public service commission and increase the number of employees in the formal sector such as police and prison officers,” he said And instead of giving the right response on the mobile hospitals after some people asked him to comment on the facilities, Mr Sata said President Banda decided to remove former Local Government and Housing Minister Brain Chituwo from ministry of health and decided to appoint an engineer Kapembwa Simbao who is also former Health Minister but lacked knowledge on mobile hospitals.

Mr Sata however assured Zambians that PF would carry out peaceful campaigns.

[Times of Zambia]

STATE House has dismissed former Works and Supply minister Mike Mulongoti’s statement that President Rupiah Banda is lazy describing him as a frustrated politician who has resorted to telling lies to please his political allies.

Special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere told ZNBC news in Mfuwe yesterday that Mr Mulongoti was a bitter person because he was fired by President Banda.

Mr Jere said in his quest to please his political masters, Mr Mulongoti had embarked on a campaign to try and put President Banda’s name in disrepute.

He said President Banda was the most hard working Head of State who even holds meetings at mid night. He said former Finance and National Planning minister Situmbeko Musokotwane could confirm that the Head of State held meetings on various national issues as late as mid night. Mr Mulongoti was quoted in yesterday’s Post Newspaper saying President Banda was a lazy man.

And MMD Chisamba aspiring candidate Moses Muteteka has said the statement by Mr Mike Mulongoti that President Rupiah Banda is lazy has just exposed how ignorant the former minister is about the operations and working of the Head of State.

Mr Muteteka who is immediate past deputy minister of Local Government and a former senior private secretary to the late president Levy Mwanawasa said the office of the president was an institution that operates from anywhere.

“Mr Mulongoti doesn’t seem to understand how the president works. What does he mean that he is lazy, that he comes for work late. The president has an office at his home and sometimes can work from there.

“The office of president is not as easy as he wants to put it because sometimes he doesn’t sleep. Because of the time differences sometimes the Head of State has to stay awake to communicate with other heads of states,” he said.

Mr Muteteka said it was not possible for the country to have achieved so much economically and in terms of development if the president was lazy.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD National Secretary Major Richard Kachingwe says the party will respond accordingly to the writ of summons by the Patriotic Front (PF) general secretary Wynter Kabimba who has sued the party and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) for allegedly failing to collect import duty from the party for the importation of campaign materials worth about K3.5 billion brought into the country.

Mr Kachingwe who confirmed receipt of the summons from the PF said his party would soon respond to the allegations leveled against his party by Mr Kabimba. According to the writ of summons filed before the Lusaka High court, Mr Kabimba wants an order that ZRA assesses and charges duty payable by the MMD on all its campaign materials and motor vehicles imported for this year’s elections.

Mr Kabimba who has also sued the Attorney General as the second defendant and MMD national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe as third defendant wants an order that the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) investigates and discloses to the general public the source of income by the MMD used for the purchase of about 100 Toyota Hilux motor vehicles, buses, 5000 bicycles and about 1000 bales of chitenge material and T-shirts.

He is further claiming for an interim mandatory and prohibitory order of injunction against the MMD restraining the distribution of motor vehicles, bicycles, chitenge materials and T-Shirts until the duty payable is assessed by ZRA and payable by the MMD.

The PF is also claiming any relief the court may deem fit and costs. According to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Kabimba stated that on July 28, 2011, President Rupiah Banda dissolved parliament and set September 20 this year as the date for tripartite elections.

He said on August 1, this year, President Banda during a function held at Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka launched the 2011 election campaign for the MMD.

He said after the launch, Maj Kachingwe started allocating campaign materials to its adopted candidates in form of bicycles, bales of chitenge material, motor vehicles and T-Shirts.

Mr Kabimba said on August 7, 2011, President Banda officiated at a function in Lusaka where the said materials which were allegedly imported into the country in large quantities were allocated.

He said the MMD’s campaign material was liable to import duty and other incidental taxes which the first defendant had negligently failed to charge and or collect on behalf of the government treasury of the Republic of Zambia.

Mr Kabimba said the consignment of the third defendant’s campaign materials included about 100 Toyota Hilux motor vehicles, bales of Chitenge materials and T-Shirts and at least 5000 bicycles all valued at over K3.5 billion.”

Mr Kabimba claimed that the MMD’s consignment of campaign materials was disproportionate to its income adding that the MMD had no investment portfolio or any business activity from which it would earn such income to justify the expenditure on the material.

He further stated that the DEC is obliged by law to institute investigations into the source of the income or disproportionate expenditure levels by the MMD and inform the public accordingly.

Mr Kabimba said ZRA should not allow the MMD to use its imported consignment of campaign materials before import duty and other taxes are paid to the commission.

And in an affidavit in support of ex parte summons for an interim order injunction pursuant to Order 29, Rule 1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of England, 1999 edition, Mr Kabimba averred that DEC had not investigated the MMD’s source of income in accordance with its mandate.

[Times of Zambia]

Opposition Patriotic Front President Michael Sata has promised to re-visit the Mun’gomba draft constitution within 90 days once voted into power.

Mr. Sata said that the country only needed a strong constitution that will protect all citizens in the country unlike the current situation where citizens are not secured.

The PF leader said that the constitution of the country should be left to provide security to civil servants whom he said are not secure as they can be kicked out of employment at any time without proper guidelines being followed.

He was speaking in Lusaka today during a public forum by the Post Newspapers’s Press Freedom Committee.

Mr. Sata said that it was unfortunate that the draft constitution failed to pass due to the selfishness of Republican Vice President George Kunda, who he said appointed himself commissioner of the National Constitution Conference in order to make money.

Mr Sata said that the office of the Republican Vice President carries too much power. Mr Sata claimed that the Vice President has too much power, enough to make the incumbent manipulate the running of the economy.

Mr Sata could not however state exactly what his party plans to do in order to restrict the respective powers once elected into office.

QFM