Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:47:09 +0000
ZAMBIANS must protect their hard earned democracy from the PF government’s destructive ways of governance, says MMD vice-president political affairs Michael Kaingu
Dr Kaingu said the PF which was bent on reintroducing a one party state did not practice intra party democracy and wanted to fragment the democratic structures that had been built over many years of multi-partism.
He said that Zambians should not allow the PF regime to do things in the manner they were doing if democracy will be preserved inZambia.
“PF has not demonstrated intra-party democracy even in their party. The President is trying to destroy democracy so that we can become like PF. What we want is to strengthen democracy,” he said.
Dr. Kaingu accused President Michael Sata of plotting to antagonise the former ruling party by poaching and appointing members of parliament of his party to government.
He said the Zambian people elected MMD members of parliament to serve them in their respective constituencies not in the government, adding that it was President Sata’s plan to cause confusion and finish the former ruling party.
Dr. Kaingu warned that President Sata and the PF would not have it the easy as the MMD was still strong and determined to offer checks and balances and an alternative leadership in 2016.
“The appointments compromise MMD MPs who cannot vote against the ruling party in parliament for fear of disappointing the government in which they serve. But I have to warn the PF that they will not have it easy because MMD is still going strong and we are determined to form government in 2016,” he said.
He said government was enticing MMD members to cross the floor and that, “This is a worry to the health of democracy in the country. The MMD and the PF have different ideologies with different party manifestos.”
But PF deputy national secretary assistant for political affairs Sikwiindi Situla denied that his party was enticing opposition members of parliament to cross the floor.
Mr. Situla who is former UPND deputy secretary general said government was ready to form an all inclusive government across political lines.
However, Mr. Situla said the PF could only negotiate before appointing opposition members of parliament into government.
He said it was not true that PF was trying to stifle the democratic process in the country and that there was no law that had been abrogated.
“Opposition members of parliament in government were not PF members but merely serving in government.”
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