PF TO WRITE TO THE UN OVER RB'S PARENTAGE

The Patriotic Front-PF has threatened to write to the Southern African Development Community SADC, the African Union-AU and the UN on whether the ruling MMD should go ahead and field President Rupiah Banda as its presidential candidate.

PF Secretary General Winter Kabimba has said that the party wrote to the Law Association of Zambia-LAZ to intervene in the matter of President Rupiah Banda’s parentage and his eligibility as candidate in the 2008 presidential elections as well as the forthcoming general elections but wonders why LAZ has been mute about the matter.

He says in 1996 Former President Kenneth Kaunda was disqualified from standing for presidency because one of his parents was not Zambian.

The PF Secretary General notes that the constitution provides that any person wishing to contest the position of Republican Presidency should have both parents who are Zambians a case which the PF suspect does not apply for Mr. Banda.

Mr. Kabimba says if left unchecked people from other nations will be rushing to Zambia to contest for presidency.

He has advised the MMD to start looking for another Presidential candidate as Mr. Banda does not qualify.

However when contacted for comment MMD National Secretary Richard Kachingwe described the allegations as cheap politics by the PF.

Major Kachingwe who is former Zambian High Commissioner to Malawi says the PF has already started conceding defeat even before elections.

MMD KICKS OFF CAMPAIGNS
By Chris Habeenzu
On Monday August 01st 2011 the MMD kicked off its campaign for the 2011 polls at Hotel Intercontinental. Cadres as one would always expect at a political rally chanted slogans all praising Party President Rupiah Banda. One want to ask as to why the MMD President would go and launch his political campaign at the most prestigious venue like the Intercontinental hotel. What would an ordinary Zambian a Zambian who can not afford square meal think about such a party. Not taking away anything from the MMD or what how and where they wanted to launch their political campaign from, it would have been prudent enough to either launch it at a public and ordinary place or something.
Anyway that aside the messages and initiation of the campaign one would wonder whether our politicians have this country at heart. All the would be electorate have heard is character assassination which has not impressed an ordinary villager in Monze or worst still in far flung rural area who still thinks UNIP is ruling.
The Zambian Voters' register has this year attracted more a million new voters mostly young ones who are so anxious to vote but will their first time vote mean anything and translate into something that will pay them back?
Taking the electorate for granted should always be viewed as an unforgivable offense. Fooling more than five million people who are expected to vote this year will surely be unforgivable sin. Politicians need to be wary of their campaign messages and what actions they are taking now.