THE Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) will not hold its convention prior to the 2011 tripartite elections, party spokesperson Charles Kakoma has said.

Mr Kakoma said the UPND convention would only be held in 2012, six years after the last convention was held in 2006.

He said his party and the Patriotic Front (PF) were currently working on the rules that would be adopted by the joint governance council of the pact to guide the two parties on how to come up with one presidential candidate for the 2011 elections.

But when reminded that PF leader Michael Sata had already declared that he would contest in 2011 as a presidential candidate despite UPND’s insistence that the pact would come up with one presidential candidate, Mr Kakoma said anyone was free to declare intentions to stand in next year’s elections.

He said the joint governance council would soon meet to adopt the guidelines prior to the launch of the pact which he said was delayed because of the Mufumbwe and Milanzi by-elections held on April 29.

But PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba said Mr Sata’s stance to contest the 2011 was based on hope that he may be picked as the pact’s presidential candidate.
“Mr Sata has not declared that he will contest as president in 2011.

“But I should say the statements that have been attributed to him that he will contest the 2011 are based on hope that he may be picked by the Pact as the 2011 candidate,” Mr Kabimba said.

Despite the Pact’s decision to come up with one presidential candidate, Mr Sata on May 5 vowed that he would contest the 2011 election and that he would continue to vie for presidency even if he lost next year’s polls.

This was when he featured on a live programe, ‘Face the Media’ on Radio Phoenix.
Mr Kabimba said the PF convention had been set for October this year, after the completion of elections at lower level.

“We hope to complete elections at the lower level by the end of this month.
Asked to comment on the stance by the UPND to hold the convention in 2012, Mr Kakoma said despite the fact that the two parties were in a pact, they were still different political parties with different constitutions.

MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba said the ruling party would go ahead with the planned convention once all the elections at lower level up to the provincial level were concluded.

Dr Kalumba said the MMD national executive committee would soon meet to come up with the date for the convention.

“The MMD convention will go ahead as planned. What we are doing now is to ensure all the elections at lower level are done.

{Times of Zambia]

President Rupiah Banda has commended China for signing four Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Zambian government aimed at investing in various sectors of the economy.

Mr Banda said a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on behalf of Government by Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale in Livingstone today will see China Development Bank provide an initial amount of US$ 5 billion to companies in the mining sector.

He urged the Zambian private sector to work with their Chinese counterparts so that they could access resources from that fund adding that it was his desire to see that the cooperation benefited the people of Zambia.

The President was speaking in Livingstone Wednesday during his meeting with the Chinese delegation from China Development Bank and the China Africa Development Fund at Royal Livingstone.

He said the China Development Bank and the China Africa Development Fund were not strangers to the country as they have supported various projects in the mining, energy and telecommunication sectors. The President added that a number of companies in the country had benefited that included China Non ferrous Metals Mining Company, Albidon and MTN.

Mr Banda said he was happy to note that another Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to the development of the agricultural sector had been signed on behalf of the Zambian people and thanked the Chinese for taking great interest in the development of the agriculture sector.

”My government will continue to work very hard in order to make Zambia an economic success story,” he said.

Mr Banda also said he welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing a China Development Bank regional office in Zambia and described it as a positive development. He said apart from offering job opportunities, the China Development Bank regional office would accord the Zambian business community a chance to join hands with their Chinese counterparts and access the much needed funds to invest in all sectors of the economy.

Mr Banda noted that the selection of Zambia as the location for the Central and East Africa office of the China-Africa Development Bank no doubt demonstrated the positive investments environment that the country had created.

The President observed that Zambia and China had enjoyed a warm and cordial relationship for a long time and that Zambia attached great importance to the relationship between the two countries. He added that the Chinese’ delegation to Zambia was testimony to China’s commitment to the development of Africa and Zambia in particular.

He observed that the President of China Hu Jintao during the 2007 Beijing Summit of the Forum on Chins-Africa Cooperation reaffirmed China’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with African nations.

Mr Banda said one of the measures announced then was the establishment of a China-Africa Development Fund to encourage and support Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa adding that the delegation’s visit was a fulfillment of China’s commitment to Africa.

The President also noted that a number of Memorandum of Understanding were signed during his state visit to China in February this year and said he was happy that they were becoming a reality today. He noted that Zambia was a developing nation and required more resources to build infrastructure and welcomed the China Development Fund to bridge the gap in financing.

Mr Banda said a committee that would be chaired by Energy Minister Kenneth Konga would be formed that would see to it that the projects to be funded with assistance from the Chinese government are implemented as soon as possible.

Speakling earlier, Chief Executive Officer of the China Development Bank Jiang Chaoliang said the visit to Zambia by the bank executives was a follow up of the state visit by President Hu Jintao to Zambia in 2007 and President Banda’s visit to China in February this year.

Mr Chaoliang said after President Banda’s visit to China early this year, the China Development Bank was tasked to come to Zambia to see how they could help the country economically. He said the bank was wholly owned by the Chinese government and was responsible for long term external financing and that it was also a leading bank in China supporting infrastructure development.

Mr Chaoliang noted that China Development Bank was the largest bank in the world in terms of external funding and that it provides funding to major projects in the world. He said the team was visiting the country so that they could further expand cooperation in agriculture as Zambia was endowed with vast water and land resources.

Mr Chaoliang further said the bank could help Zambia overcome the global economic melt down in the mining sector. He also said energy was a prerequisite of the development of other sectors and noted that the China Development Bank was keen in helping Zambia improve its hydro-electric sector.

Mr Chaoliang said his bank would be willing to provide financing to Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) .

He pledged to conduct a comprehensive cooperation with the Zambian government so that there could be a framework between Zambia and China Development Bank.

The Zambian delegation comprised of Energy Minister Kenneth Konga, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale, Agriculture Minister Peter Daka, Funance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe and Commerce deputy minister Lwipa Puma.

Other dignatories from the Chinese delegation included International Finance Department Director General Liang Husiang, China Africa Development Fund Chief Executive Officer Chi Jianxin and Global Coopetaion Director General Wang Ge Fan.

ZANIS

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has described the move by Government to adopt the recommendations of the national Indaba as a sheer worst of time and resources.

Government through cabinet had yesterday adopted the recommendations tabled at the national indaba held on the 4th and 5th of April last year held to discuss among others, measures to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma who also described the national indaba as an MMD indaba said the move by Government is another ploy to amass tax payers money at the expense of national development.

Mr. Kakoma said Zambians should not be cheated that the implementation of the indaba resolution will bring any tangible change stressing that people should be wary of Government’s fake promises aimed at sustaining the support of the people.

He accused the Government of buying time by raising the hopes of the Zambian people.

And Kakoma has charged that the parties will mobilise Zambians and encourage them to get voters cards and National Registration cards so that they can vote out the leadership of MMD.

Meanwhile, Change Life Zambia Director Fr. Frank Bwalya has told QFM that the Indaba will not yield any tangible development for the country stressing that the indaba was just a useless talk shop.

He said that Change Life Zambia will not support the initiative because it was just an act by Government to divert the attention of people from the real issues going on, citing the length of time it has taken for Government to adopt the recommendations.

And the UPND has charged that the MMD is wasting time to petition the recently held by elections.

UPND Mazabuka central Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo said that the petition by the MMD is an indication that the ruling party wants to cling on to power.

Mr. Nkombo stated that even if the ruling party wants to petition the elections, UPND knows that it was not responsible for the violence that was recorded.

Mr. Nkombo has maintained that the opposition were not responsible for the violence that was recorded in Mufumbwe. He added that the UPND has evidence of who orchestrated the violence, saying that after the court ruling, Zambians will know for sure.

He claimed that the violence had the blessing of the republican President Rupiah Banda, describing the whole issue as disappointing.

Mr. Nkombo says that the people who were responsible for the violence are rightly known by the people in that constituency.

He says that the UPND is anxiously waiting for the court proceedings to ascertain the responsible group.

And the national revolution party President has charged that the MMD is to blame for the violence in Mufumbwe.

Cozmo Mumba says that the MMD had all the control using the state machinery and that it is possible they were the reason for the violence in the recent by elections.
[Q FM]

NATIONAL Democratic Focus (NDF) president Ben Mwila has urged Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to withdraw his candidature from next year’s elections in view of revelations about his health status.

Mr Mwila said the heart complication that led to Mr Sata’s evacuation to South Africa last year was enough for Mr Sata to rethink his ambitions for Republican presidency.

He said the heart condition had been worsened by indications that he has other health problems.

Mr Mwila called on the Zambians not to vote for people like Mr Sata as they would fail to lead the country because of pressure.

He said the Republican presidency was demanding and that even in the absence of other diseases, the evacuation to South Africa was enough for Mr Sata to think twice.

Mr Mwila said nationwide campaigns were rough and that the addition of other health complications would worsen his situation.

“The people of Zambia know what they want for a president. I am not concerned about the four diseases as it has emerged but just the heart condition.

“You cannot have a president who is suffering from heart complications,” Mr Mwila said.

He was commenting on latest medical reports that have shown that Mr Sata was diagnosed with four named diseases at a clinic in Lusaka.

Mr Sata has maintained that the diseases he was suffering from were ‘minor’ and that they were cured when he was evacuated to South Africa.

Meanwhile, MMD Copperbelt youth chairperson Evans Chibanda has said the PF leadership lacks credibility because of its attempts to gain political mileage out of opponents’ health.

Mr Chibanda said the fact that the PF leadership was celebrating over some ruling party leaders falling sick or going for medical check-up was an indication that the entire leadership was questionable.

He was reacting to media reports that Mr Sata had rung the Zambia’s High Commission in South Africa several times to seek confirmation whether Vice-President George Kunda had died after accusing Government of not telling the truth about his health.

And a former PF member has advised Mr Sata to stop talking ill about other political leaders’ health.

Samson Zulu, who is PF chairperson of the committee of founder members, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that Mr Sata should confine his “political comedy” about other politicians’ health to the PF.

“Mr Sata should be aware that he his vying for a highest office in the land and if the devil allows that he be elected president, he should know that he will be president of both the sick and those in good health,” Mr Zulu said.

[Times of Zambia]