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Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda has described as rubbish the story of a purported PF shadow cabinet published in today’s Zambia Daily Mail.

Mr. Lubinda said some of the names listed in the purported secret document are questionable and that it should not be believed.

He said Mr. Sata cannot appointment Joe Kalusa to his cabinet following recent attacks the UPND copperbelt youth chairman launched on the PF.

Mr. Lubinda pointed out that the purported appointment of Kasama central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba as a shadow minister in charge of gender is questionable following the incident where he battered his wife.

He said the document is an alleged ploy to destabilize the PF a matter he described as impossible.
The people purported to be in the shadow cabinet include PF secretary-general Wynter Kabimba as Vice-President, Mandevu MP Jean Kapata, who has been allocated the Ministry of Home Affairs and Willie Nsanda as Minister of Transport.

Others are prominent Lusaka businessman Geoffrey Mwamba popularly known as GBM, who has been allocated the Ministry of Gender, while Chipili PF MP Davis Mwila is tipped to be minister of Foreign Affairs.

Outspoken UPND Copperbelt youth Chairman Joe Kalusa has been positioned to be Minister of Youth and Sport.
[ QFM ]

Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) spokesperson John Nyawali has said the commission cannot question or investigate the sources of campaign finances which President Rupiah Banda has been donating to various NGOs and individual citizens.

Mr. Nyawali said the commission was limited in its mandate because the sitting president enjoyed absolute immunity to such investigations.

He was reacting to numerous calls from the civil society organisations who were calling on the commission to extend their investigations of money laundering to the ruling party.

But Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has accused the DEC of being selective in the application of law.
TIZ president Reuben Lifuka said it was wrong for the DEC to hide behind the law of immunity which the president enjoyed, saying DEC should ask whether the president was committing any wrongs enough to warrant investigations.

He said the DEC was exhibiting double standards by finding it easy to investigate opposition party leaders.

United Party for National Development (UPND) has said it will appeal against the Lusaka High Court’s decision to throw out an appeal filed by Mufumbwe Member of Parliament (MP) Elliot Kamondo.

UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma said his party was shocked and disappointed by the court’s decision but would continue fighting up to the Supreme Court.

He said it was the constitutional right of every person to appeal against any judgment.

Mr. Kakoma also stated that the party would confer with Patriotic Front to decide on the Mporokoso seat.
The Mporokoso seat fell vacant after the resignation of Maynard Misapa from the ruling MMD to join the opposition PF.

The Mufumbwe seat has not yet been declared vacant after the Lusaka High Court threw out an appeal against its ruling.

Meanwhile the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has welcomed the decision by Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwamba to declare Mporokoso Parliamentary seat vacant.

MMD Acting National Secretary Chembe Nyangu said the ruling party was also ready for the by-election in Mufumbwe that might arise after the Lusaka High Court threw out an appeal against its ruling nullifying the election of Elliot Kamondo as area Member of Parliament.

Mr. Nyangu said the party was prepared to go into the constituencies to defend and win back the parliamentary seats.

He said the party would soon start the process of identifying potential candidates to stand on its ticket in the by-election in Mporokoso, Northern Province while it would wait for a go ahead to identify a credible candidate for the Mufumbwe seat in North western Province.

Mr. Nyangu said this in a telephone interview with ZANIS from Mongu, Western Province.

He said the party had gone back to the drawing board and had embarked on a membership mobilisation drive at grassroots.

And Mr. Nyangu said his party would focus on issue based campaigns and avoid personal and violent campaigns.
[ ZANIS ]

VICE President George Kunda says the MMD government has managed to accumulate over US$ 2 billion in foreign exchange reserves because of its prudent financial management.

However the Vice President has warned that the country risks having the foreign reserves plundered if Patriotic Front leader Micheal Sata and his UPND counterpart are voted into government in 2011, because of their insatiable appetite for the United States Dollar.

Addressing Livingstone residents who welcomed him at Livingstone International Airport today, the Vice President said the US$ 2 billion is with the Bank of Zambia.

He said the opposition were very desperate to get into government, in order for them to plunder the foreign exchange reserves which the MMD has been able to accumulate due to a sound economic environment it has created.

Vice President Kunda who is accompanied to Livingstone by Labour Minister Austin Liato said, the future for Zambia looks bright because of the country’s stable economic environment.

He said Mr. Sata and Mr. Hichilema would undoubtedly plunder the foreign exchange reserves which the MMD has worked hard for.

He appealed to people in Southern Province to vote for the MMD because it is the only party that can be entrusted with national resources.

Vice President Kunda said, with the rising copper prices on the international market, Zambia’s foreign exchange earnings were projected to increase further next year.

ZANIS