FORMER Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development Lameck Chibombamilimo has backed calls for the MMD to adopt President Banda as its presidential candidate for the 2011 elections.

Mr Chibombamilimo said it is logical and easy to sell a candidate who is already in office.

He was speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.

“It is easy to sell a candidate who is already in office than a new one who may not even have a record that you can use to the electorate,” Mr Chibombamilimo said.

He said although he may have differences with some individuals in the MMD, the interest of the party overrides anything else.

Mr Chibombamilimo, who is Mpulungu member of Parliament, said it is common practice in many political systems to support an incumbent in the ruling party who has prospects for another presidential term.

“Let me hasten to add that this opinion is informed by the fact that while I may have differences with some individual members of the party, the interest of the MMD overrides anything else,” he said.

Mr Chibombamilimo said it will be risky and costly for the party to begin looking for a new candidate even when the opposition seems set to field the same candidates they have had in the past two or three elections.

On the pact between Patriotic Front and United Party for National Development, Mr Chibombamilimo said MMD was also born out of the same initiative.

He, however, said he would not know whether the new pact has the same goals as those of the MMD.

“MMD was born out of the same initiative prior to the 1991 elections. But whether this formula will result in the intended goal this time around is another matter,” he said.

On the corruption scandal at the Ministry of Health, Mr Chibombamilimo commended President Banda for his commitment to ensure that those involved in the scandal face the law.

He said President Banda should facilitate the exposure of corrupt individuals so that they do not benefit from the ill-gotten wealth.

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) President Stanley Mhango has condemned in the strongest term the hooliganism exhibited by the Patriotic Front (PF) cadres towards their fellow and founder members of the party.

Mr. Mhango said the behaviour by the PF cadres is not in line with democratic principles.

Mr. Mhango stressed that the PF being the largest opposition party in he country, should exhibit exceptional levels of tolerance and promote intra party democratic principles.

He observed that such behaviour may jeopardize the newly formed PF and UPND electoral pact as members of the pact may be suspicious of each for fear of harassment from cadres.

Mr. Mhango expressed disappointment that PF senior leadership has not condemned the violence and harassment against the two founder members, a conduct he said is a sign that the party tolerated such unruly behavior.

He has since challenges the leadership of PF to help police bring to book the perpetrators of hooliganism and violence in their party if the party does not support such behaviour from its cadres.

In a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday Mr. Mhango urged parties to desist from promoting acts of violence and hooliganism in the country.[quote]

He stated that the only crime the victims are alleged to have committed was to call for the long awaited PF convention and observance of the party’s constituent which their right is.

“FODEP is concerned with the rate of political intolerance and undemocratic tendencies practiced by most political parties in the country,’ he stated.

Meanwhile FODEP is however happy that the victims have reported the matter to the police, whose investigations in the matter has commenced.

On Friday a group of PF cadres severely beat up two founder members of the party who called a press briefing to demand for among other things speaking against violence being perpetuated on some members in the party.

ZANIS

President Banda said the launch of the Customs Union (CU) scheduled was important for the regional because other countries such as those in Europe have used the Union to enhance development in their countries.

The President who stated that he was happy to be part of the launch of the CU stressed that the Union would enable the free movement of goods and people in the region without barriers.

‘It is important that we regional leaders met and launch the CU as it was the only way that the region would enhance trade among countries,’ he added .

President Banda also stated that the summit in general which will also address various issues would help regional leaders to look at areas of promoting trade and regional integration.

Apart from launching the union, the 13th COMESA Summit is expected to look at the regional trade policy that will address issues of policy space, sensitive products, customs management code among others.

The summit is also expected to review the various agreements entered into at the tripartite summit held in Kampala, Uganda, in October last year between COMESA, the east African Community and the Southern African Development Community.

With its 19 member states, a population of over 389 million and annual imports valued at 32 billion dollars and exports of 82 billion dollars, COMESA forms a major market place for both internal and external trading.

Since the launch of its FTA, there has been an increase of intra-COMESA trade of $734 million in 1985 to$ 7,6 billion in 2006.

The regional integration programme for COMESA member states established a free trade area (FTA) in October 2000 and aimed to establish the customs union by December 2008, a monetary union by 2015 and a COMESA community by 2025.

The launch of the CU at the 13th COMESA Summit will mark a significant milestone in the integration agenda of Comesa as it will create a single economic space in which goods will circulate freely.

Council of Ministers have adopted a roadmap which specifies activities and expected outputs which should be achieved within specific time frames. The roadmap also outlines the various roles which should be performed by the Secretariat and the member states.

Structure of the Common External Tariff Principles for a Common Trade Policy which will guide the region’s trade relations with the rest of the world have been successfully implemented.

The launch of the COMESA customs union will see member states that join the union adopting an agreed common external tariff (CET) to be charged to third parties. The agreed CET rates are zero percent on capital goods, zero percent on raw materials, 10 percent on intermediate goods and 25 percent on finished goods.

Today , in the evening, President Banda will attend a state banquet to be held at the same venue .President Banda will after attending the closing ceremony, together with other heads of states proceed to Cape Town, SOUTH Africa to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) .

MMD chairperson for Information and Publicity, Benny Tetamashimba, has challenged party national secretary Katele Kalumba to come out in the open and declare his alleged “well known” candidature for 2011 presidential election.

Mr Tetamashimba was reacting to media reports quoting Dr Kalumba as saying that the MMD needs a “winnable candidate” in the light of the United National Party for Democracy (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) pact.

In a statement made available yesterday, Mr Tetamashimba said Dr Kalumba was supposed to have known that President Banda was the MMD’s winnable candidate for the 2011 elections.

“I wish to agree with Dr Katele Kalumba that MMD needs a winnable candidate, but differ with him on the choice of a winnable candidate because unlike his insinuation that President Rupiah Banda is not a winnable candidate in the light of the UPND/PF pact. President Rupiah Banda is the only winnable candidate,” Mr Tetamashimba said.

He accused Dr Kalumba of having ambitions to challenge President Banda at the MMD convention.

“If President Rupiah Banda is not a winnable candidate, then let Dr Katele Kalumba tell the party members who a winnable candidate is.

For people like me, I know that Dr Katele Kalumba or any other MMD member are far from being winnable candidates,” he said.

Mr Tetamashimba said any MMD candidate can only win when NEC members from each province deliver their provinces to the MMD candidate.

He said the MMD needs strong candidates at parliamentary level and campaigners in 2011 for President Banda to win.

“Those against the candidature of Rupiah Banda are spoilers and want the MMD to be in the opposition after 2011 elections, and we shall not allow that,” he said.

He said the PF/UPND pact is nothing tangible but an exercise in futility, as the two leaders and their members do not support the pact except as a political exercise to try and sow a seed of discontent in MMD.[quote]

“I know of MPs in the two opposition parties who are not willing to be led by any of the two leaders.

The pact is supported by people who lost elections in 2006 who feel that they may have a chance this time around,” he said.

He said the MMD will win 2011 general elections as people trust President Banda and the MMD because of its performance and fight against corruption.

Mr Tetamashimba also condemned PF leaders who beat up their colleagues at a press briefing on Friday.

He appealed to the police to arrest those who beat up the two PF leaders and the leaders who authorised them.
“We challenge Mr Hichilema Hakainde to tell the nation whether his party accepts what he saw on television,” he said.

Commenting on Mr Charles Milupi’s statement over hearses bought by Government, Mr Tetamashimba said he had no problem with the purchase of the vehicles.

“Let him know I have no problems with the purchase of the items which I will deliver to every province for the poor people to be taken to the grave yard decently. At no time did I state that Honourable Sylvia Masebo was corrupt,” he said.

Mr Tetamashimba said Mr Milupi is free to learn more on the issue by going to the Ant-Corruption Commission or waiting for the Auditor General’s audit.

[Zambia Daily Mail]