THERE is nothing disparaging about Michael Sata’s claim that he would run the country better than President Rupiah Banda, Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi observed yesterday.
Commenting on Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga’s warning that some diplomatic missions should not be surprised if diplomatic sanctions were imposed on them for meeting Patriotic Front (PF) president Sata without government’s knowledge, Milupi reminded Mwaanga that the diplomats to whom his anger was directed were also accomplished career diplomats representing their countries in Zambia.

He said part of their remedy was to ensure that they portrayed back to their countries a full spectrum of opinion in the country.
Milupi said that spectrum of opinion was not only represented by the MMD but by other parties, including the leaders of opposition political parties.

“And I think they are doing their job correctly. He himself, Mr Mwaanga, says that ‘Zambia is a democratic country, has nothing to hide’.

Whatever is being discussed by Sata and the diplomats in open places…the reason he has come to know about it is because The Post has covered these meetings. People have known where they have been meeting with Mr Sata,” Milupi said.

“I do not think that there are any secrets divulged…and I would also like to think that these diplomats, like the Canadian diplomat, the Finnish diplomat, they are fully aware of the diplomat etiquette applicable to their line of work. VJ Mwaanga cannot claim to be the only one who is knowledgeable about diplomatic etiquette.”

Milupi maintained that the diplomats representing their countries were aware of the diplomatic etiquette.

“And if you look at some of the things quoted in this report where Mr Sata claims he can run the country better than President Banda, there is nothing whatsoever disparaging about that.

If he did not feel that he could run the country better, he would not be heading a political party in the opposition,” Milupi said. “That is the essence of political parties in the opposition. How can the MMD government feel threatened about a statement like that?

So there is nothing disparaging in the meetings so far, as reported, that Mr Sata has held.”
Milupi said Sata’s statements to the diplomats that the removal of the abuse of office offence from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act would facilitate free stealing in government was the opinion of most Zambians.

He said Zambians were shocked that a government that claimed to be a government of laws could remove a clause upon which they had achieved success in the prosecution of corruption.

Milupi urged those in government to listen to what people were saying rather than bury their heads in the sand.

He said President Banda’s administration appeared to have a phobia of donors, adding that they recently said they had not asked for assistance from the donors.

Milupi said when the donors insisted that the money they gave Zambia should be used for the intended purpose, for some reason, that upset certain people, including those in government.

He said those in government wanted a blank cheque to continue whatever they were doing, adding that they wanted the freedom to do whatever they could with other people’s money.
“That is what is creating conflict. The other people want accountability,” Milupi said.

He said the reduction in budgetary support by donors from 14 to seven per cent would have consequences on the ordinary people. He said those in government should tone down on their rhetoric against the donors.
Milupi said the statement from Mwaanga was undiplomatic.

“For example, why is the statement not from the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Why is it from the Chief Whip? The responsibility of a Chief Whip is to control members of parliament. So is that following diplomatic etiquette? The answer is no. So those who live in glass houses must not throw stones,” Milupi said.

He said in their quest to get opinions, diplomats should not limit themselves to talking to PF but must also talk to other political leaders because there was no certainty as to who would win the elections in 2011.

Mwaanga was quoted in yesterday’s Daily Mail warning diplomats that they should not be surprised if diplomatic sanctions were imposed on them for meeting Sata without government’s knowledge. He said Sata had been holding meetings where he had been disparaging President Banda and his administration.

Source: http://www.postzambia.com