Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:57:14 +0000
The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and President Michael Sata have been challenged to call for early general elections so that they can prove how popular they are, instead of poaching opposition Members of Parliament (MP) and creating unnecessary by-elections.
The challenge has been thrown by MMD youths in Kitwe who have also dared the PF government to create decent jobs for the youths in the country as opposed to street vending in which many youths are engaged in.
Kitwe District MMD Youth Chairman James Phiri said the PF and President Sata should call for early general election to prove their popularity, instead of creating unnecessary by-elections through poaching of opposition MPs.
“It has been too much of by-elections since the PF came into government and so I thought I should challenge President Sata and PF to call for an early general election where they could prove that they are still popular and strong by emerging winners.
“If they win that general election, then people will know that PF is still strong and popular. It is really sad that PF has failed to even fulfill any of its campaign promises because they are preoccupied with creating by-elections and fixing political opponents,” Mr Phiri said.
On the statement by PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba that the PF had nothing to do with the defection of opposition MPs, Mr Phiri said he could not believe the sentiments came Kabimba.
He said he could not believe Mr Kabimba’s statement because most of the MPs who have joined PF from the MMD had cases in courts but after they have joined PF, their cases begin to die a natural death.
“No, my friend, I can’t buy Mr Kabimba’s statement. We know that PF is threatening those MMD MPS with cases in court to join them or be jailed and so the MPs are choosing to join PF for fear of being jailed.
“Is it a coincident that of all MMD MPs, Masumba and Namulambe who had cases in court decided to join PF. We know what is happening and one day, things will go sour and some people will regret,’ He said.
And Mr Phiri has challenged the PF government to create decent jobs for the youths and not the street vending that youths have been subjected to from the time PF came into power.
He said the street vending could lead to dysentery in the city because local authorities were incapacitated to collect the garbage and keep the city corridors clean and hygienic.
He said it was sad that the PF Government had failed to improve any sector from the time it formed government, but had only managed to exhibit dictatorial tendencies by harassing the opposition.
“I am not speaking because I am from the opposition MMD, but because I am a youth. I can tell you PF has failed in a very short time of being in government. I am challenging the PF government to create decent jobs for the youths and not the street vending which youths have been subjected to.
“These youths do not have toilets where they can answer the call of nature, while councils cannot even manage to handle the increased generation of waste produced,” He said.
