Wed, 06 Sep 2017 10:19:47 +0000
Dear Editor,
The current campaign to hound Finance Minister Felix Mutati from Government is counterproductive and is very saddening. A house divided cannot stand.
The PF got into office because of support from the MMD. There is no doubt that if this support had not been forthcoming the results of the elections would have been very different.
The Eastern Province gave President Lungu 299,249 votes compared to Northern Province which gave him 218,938 votes. Compare this to the 527,893 votes that the Southern Province gave to Hakainde Hichilema compared to the 42,909 that President Lungu got.
In short President Lungu got less votes from both Eastern and Northern Provinces combined compared to the vote that HH got from his Province, namely527,893 for HH in Southern Province and 519,187 for President Lungu from the two Province that seem intent on destabilising the party.
Instead of feuding the two allies should work together to ensure that the results for 2021 are even better.
In our present circumstances, it is impossible to expect the MMD to form Government. It does not have the muscle in many parts of the country, but is still favourite in the Eastern Province.
For various reasons also the MMD may be more acceptable in some parts of the country than the PF. Therefore it is important that the alliance is strengthened rather than getting it into mindless conflict.
The PF must remember that in North Western Province President Lungu got 28,859 votes compared to 208,414 for HH and in Western Province President Lungu got 46,255 votes compared to 226,722 for HH.
These figures should make the PF rethink its strategy. This is not the time to open new areas of conflict but rather should be a time of consolidation.
The Mutati debate is a needless diversion that must be stopped forthwith and whatever problems have arisen should be settled internally.
As far as the rest of the country is concerned Mutati has done very well in putting the country on a proper economic footing which has seen the Kwacha stabilise and all economic essentials have also taken a turn for the better.
This is not the time to take our Minister of Finance into wrangles which will only create uncertainty in the minds of those wishing to help us.
Kedrick Sichivula
