 |
| Dr Scott (l) and HH (r) |
The UPND leader was speaking at the party's secretariat in Lusaka yesterday when he officially welcomed Dr Canisius Banda to the party, where the latter has been co-opted as vice-president for political affairs.
Hichilema said Vice-President Scott abrogated the Electoral Code of Conduct by continuing to campaign in Lukulu West after the close of the campaign period.
He said it was shocking that Vice-President Scott deliberately disregarded the law by his conduct.
"Ine nikalibe kuona muzungu opusa kwati uja (I have never seen a white person who is as stupid as that one Dr Scott)," Hichilema said much to the amusement of his party cadres, who responded with applause, cheers and loud laughter.
"I am serious about it because the campaigns closed on Sunday in the morning, 06:00 hours. Guy Scott landed in Lukulu airstrip at about 10:00 hours and I was there. Then he went on a helicopter to campaign in Kakulunda polling station against the Electoral Code of Conduct. I called the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), director Priscilla Isaac. I said look this Muzungu is campaigning here against the law. He is a Vice-President," he said.
Hichilema said when he saw that Vice-President Scott had continued campaigning in the area, he was compelled to inform the ECZ about it.
He claimed that after ECZ contacted Vice-President Scott over the matter, he denied campaigning and sneaked out of Lukulu West Constituency, but later went back to continue campaigning.
"Si muzungu opusa uyu (Is this not a stupid white person?)," Hichilema asked the cadres, who eagerly agreed with him.
And Hichilema said the UPND's victory in Lukulu West was a clear indication that Zambians have rejected President Michael Sata's one-party state.
"The people of Lukulu have refused the one-party dictatorship of President Sata by voting for the UPND candidate. They tried very hard to manipulate the results. That is why it took 24-hours after voting to announce results," he said.
"We positioned our people to do parallel vote tabulation. After voting, they ran on canoes, on motor bikes and brought the results to Mitete. Even when they delayed the results, we were saying 'just declare the results'."
Hichilema accused the PF of manipulating election results in the Kapiri-Mposhi by-election.
"That is what we did not do in Kapiri. We allowed them to manipulate there. You saw the results for Kapiri. That was a clear message sent, that there is no safe constituency for 'Puff' (PF); that is what Solwezi people say…," Hichilema said.
On Nevers Mumba's statement that he is cannibalising MMD members, Hichilema maintained that poaching of MMD members to UPND was one way of consolidating the opposition in the country.
"We are not poaching MMD members; I think I have answered this question already. Mumba is my colleague. I have great respect for him. We may have different qualities, him and I are Zambians. He is my brother, he is my friend. I will not say anything against Dr Mumba. He knows my views; we have spoken the two of us on this matter and I have put a view that if UPND members join MMD, I am happy. I would rather they join MMD than going to the PF because that will kill democracy. It will bring about the one-party state," said Hichilema.
And Dr Banda claimed that UPND was the only party that could deliver development in the country.
"I accepted to be part of the UPND because I certainly believe that it is a worthy vehicle for the delivery of national unity and national development.
Sometimes the thief will call the other thief; the tribalist will call the other tribalist. So, be careful," he said.
Dr Banda claimed that Zambians had become enemies of the PF.
"We must never endeavour to deceive. When you deceive, quickly you are found out; you become an enemy of the people, and the PF government is quickly and rapidly becoming an enemy of the people. People are becoming frustrated quickly. Despair is certain in the nation. President Hichilema, let us be ready to form government with an alternative convincing plan anytime," said Dr Banda.
And UPND vice-president Richard Kapita claimed that Hichilema was "an enemy of his success".
He wondered what crime Hichilema had committed to deserve insults from the PF.
"The only sin that Hichilema has committed is that he worked very diligently when he was in industry. He has a record unlike these other people who claim. Wherever he worked, anyone can go there and find out whether he stole or not. He is an enemy of his own success, this man you see here," claimed Kapita.
The Post
No comments:
Post a Comment