Chief Government Spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti, is happy that  First Republican President, Kenneth Kaunda, has not reacted sharply to the story published in one of the daily tabloids that alleged that President Levy Mwanawasa issued disparaging remarks against him.

Mr Mulongoti said Dr Kaunda’s decision to remain mute over the issue despite the
running public comments on the matter clearly demonstrates that he is true
statesmanship.

He said this in Kitwe yesterday when he addressed journalists after touring the
Zambia News and Information Services Offices (ZANIS).

He said Government was grateful that the Dr Kaunda had not responded to the story as
a true Statesman.

The minister said there was need for some members of the opposition Political
Parties and other stakeholders to allow the former President to concentrate on his
HIV AIDS crusade and not cheap politics.

Mr Mulongoti also regretted that some people that where celebrating at the time Dr
Kaunda was incarcerated in Kabwe some years back were now talking of respecting him
and shedding crocodile tears over his problems.

He added that it was also disappointing to note that people, who were supposed to
accord President Mwanawasa a benefit of doubt when such matters arise, where in the
fore front to create tension between him and the former Head of State.

He challenged all those people that were condemning President Mwanawasa over the
issue to gather courage and withdraw their statements against him now that the truth
had come out.

President Mwanawasa has since expressed dismay with the reports in the media where
he is quoted as having attacked first Republican President saying the Article was
based on hear say.

He indicated that the report by the post was also unethical as the meeting quoted
was a closed door party executive meeting and the Post Journalist wrote the article
based on hear-say because no journalists attended the meeting.

President Levy Mwanawasa says he will not be deterred in his development vision by people bent to criticise developmental programmes being implemented by his administration.

The president said the development of north western in particular, would remain
priority on the national development agenda due to the value derived from the area
in developing the overall national economy.

Mr. Mwanawasa said in line with the development agenda, government has focused
resource allocation towards the improvement of the road network, as a measure of
facilitating the smooth implementation of developmental projects, in north western
province.

The president was speaking in a speech read for him by Transport and Communications
Minister Sara Saifwanda at the Ukupupa traditional ceremony of the Lamba people.

Mr. Mwanawasa disclosed that government has released K43.8 billion for the
rehabilitation of the 120 kilometre stretch of the Solwezi/Kipushi Road an
additional K31 billion for the Solwezi/Chingola Road.

He further indicated that US$180,000 has been disbursed towards the rehabilitation
of the Solwezi Mwinilunga Raods.

The president further disclosed that government has released K30 million for the
drilling of boleholes at Senior Chief Kalilele and Lwamakanda and an additional K200
million for the construction of the Lamba High school in Solwezi district.

Speaking at the same occassion, Ukupupa Organising Committee Chairperson, Kilinima
appealed to president Mwanawasa to consider giving Mushindamo a district status due
to its rapid economical growth.

And in passing a vote of thanks, Chief Mukumbi of the Kaonde people called on
government to put to an end casualisation of labour at Kansanshi and other mining
firms in the province.

Vice President, Rupiah Banda, is disappointed at the failure by some investors to assist communities in which they operate.

Mr. Banda regretted that despite making huge profits, most local and foreign
companies,  profits were not supplementing government efforts in assisting
vulnerable communities particularly in the area of education.

The vice president was speaking at Mushindike Basic School in Mwansabombwe today
when he received a donation from Celtel of 40 school desks worth K20 million.

The donation by Celtel  is part of the company’s ‘build the nation’ project launched
two years ago.

Mr. Banda urged other business houses to emulate Celtel and assist the vulnerable
communities around the country.

And Celtel Marketing Manager for Services, Kennedy Mambwe, said the company will
remain a partner to government in its quest to provide quality education for all
throughout the country.

Mr. Mambwe said universal education for all requires the effort of a stakeholders
not only to ensure access to education but also achieving a good learning
environment.

Celtel has so far spent over K400 million in assisting schools in various
communities around the country through the donation of books, desks and
infrastructure rehabilitation.

President Levy Mwanawasa has refuted a story which appeared in yesterday’s edition of the Post Newspaper headlined ”This Chap KK is Decampaigning MMD-Levy.

In reaction to the story, President Mwanawasa said he never said what was attributed to him as the word ‘Chap’ was not his language and that he takes very strong exception denying that he never referred to Dr Kaunda as ”this Chap”.

In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Special Assistant to the
President for Press and Public Relations, John Musukuma, Mr Mwanawasa said the
report by the Post was unethical as the meeting quoted was a Party Executive and
closed meeting.

Mr Mwanawasa confirmed talking about Dr Kaunda in answer to a question raised by one
of the party officials who
wanted to know why he was tolerating Dr Kaunda and Mr Sata who unfairly talk ill of
him.

The President said the Party Official in his question noted that Dr Kaunda would not
have brooked the amount of criticism and would have been quick to deal with such
people by detaining them adding Mr Sata being a disciple of Dr Kaunda would never
have tolerated the kind of attacks he had been making.

In response to the Party official’s question, Mr Mwanawasa said that he regretted
that Dr Kaunda does not appear to reciprocate the kind of treatment which he had
offered him as a parent and as the founding father of the nation.

Mr Mwanawasa said he did not deserve this treatment by Dr Kaunda and that he had
been rather unkind in his remarks about the MMD Government and the President himself
despite the many things which he had done for him

”I commented however that whether l really deserve this, the people of Zambia would
judge”, Mr Mwanawasa said.

With regard to MMD Presidential aspirants, President Mwanawasa said that the
contents of the story can only be intended to antagonise him against his MMD
colleagues.

The President explained that he informed the meeting that it was not the interest of
the party for him to step down before the 2011 General Elections and proposed as
”food for thought that the party could require him to stay on as Party President
until elections day and at the Convention they could elect a presidential candidate
who would become party president on elections day.

The President denied that his proposal to remain in office until election day was
for a perios outside the stipulated time and said that when the Convention is held,
he will  not have served either five years of the second term or ten years of the
cumulative period that he will have served.  

”This would enable to lead the Party and to be at the head of the tripartite
elections. This would all be within my two terms both as Party and Republican
President.

In addition he also stressed the importance of selecting a presidential successor
who had integrity and who would treat fundraising for the Party as of paramount
importance because the party needed to be sufficiently funded to enable it discharge
its operations.

President Levy Mwanawasa says the Constitutional Conference would have no legislative power to make or alter a new Constitution.

Mr Mwanawasa said this when he explained to party officials during a meeting in Livingstone on the difference between the Conference and the Constituent Assembly.

This is contained in a Statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Special
Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, John Musukuma.

Mr Mwanawasa said the process to amend the current constitution  through the
constituent assembly  would be long and very costly to the nation and fail to
achieve the desired result.

He further said legislating for a Constitutional Conference which would have no
power to make or alter the Constitution but pass its resolutions to Parliament for
enactment, is simple and less time consuming.

Mr Mwanawasa said because all the Members of Parliament would be members of the
Constitutional Conference, there is a high probability that Members of Parliament
would vote to legislate whatever the Constitutional Conference adopted.

He stressed that the method was inexpensive, less acrimonious and would make it
possible for Parliament to legislate those provisions which were  not contentious
and defer those that require the holding of a Referendum.

”It is possible for an agreement to be made on almost 80% of the document.  At the
end of the day except for this explaination,  there was no difference between a
Constituent Assembly and Constitutional Conference. You can call it what you want
‘Constituent Assembly, Constitutional Conference, Convention, National Indaba, it is
all an exercise in semantics”, Mr Mwanawasa said