20110110
Nation

Chipata — Zambia's President Rupiah Banda has told his party members to take bribes but "vote with your conscience".

President Banda told delegates to the governing party, Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Eastern Province conference - the fourth of the nine prelude polls ahead of the national convention - to accept monetary bribes during elections.

"For those (candidates) offering you bribes in form of money to vote for them, take the money, use it but vote (with) your conscience," said President Banda, who had earlier told the same gathering that he would pursue and stop people using "underhand and corrupt methods" such as vote buying from ascending to party positions because that defeats democracy.

President Banda also said he would not bar any MMD member from challenging him for the party presidency.

"There are those misleading our members that I do not want to be challenged for the position of party president. These must be dismissed with contempt," President Banda said.

MMD members in "good standing" in the party are at liberty to aspire and stand for any position including my own, he said.

With endorsement of the MMD's supreme body - the national executive committee (NEC) - and provincial executives, 73-year-old Banda last year declared that he would run for a second and final term of office in polls due in the latter half of this year.

President Banda said squabbles in the MMD, which has been in power for about two decades, had caused confusion and weakened the governing party.

He urged party members to remain united and focused to win the general elections.

President Banda complained about low number of registered voters in Eastern Province, his homeland that gave him winning votes during 2008 elections, in the on-going registration of electors.

"Remember it is numbers which win elections. We, therefore, must strive to register more voters," he said.