Saturday 6 September 2008

THE BATTLE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN

President Mwanawasa has been buried. I guess this is the right time to discuss his successor.
Well, there have been many of them. Others have been hiding in their cacoons, while some openly came out and defied the cultural norms that obstruct us from any form of discussion on a dead person who has not been buried yet.
With the burial of Dr Mwanawasa and subsequent adoption of Mr Rupiah Banda as the MMD presidential candidate, the battle lines have been drawn!
The opposition Patrotic Front has endorsed Mr Micheal Sata, the United Party for National Development is expected to field Mr Hakainde Hichilema. The United National Independence Party (UNIP) is not expected to participate in these elections because of confusion and intra-party wrangles that have left the former ruling party into a shell of its former self. These four are the three major political players on the Zambian scene.
A lot said been said and analysed about the possible winner in the political parties and as politicians in general.
As for the MMD ( and I am not a sympathyser of the ruling party or any other opposition), I would like to say that Mr Rupiah Banda is a better candidate than the others contestants who seem to be hell bent on attaining the presidency. For instance, I would have been an emotionally depressed person to have had one Ng'andu Magande to lead this country because he just has no such presidential traits.
This man is a good economist. He is good at counting our assets and I think he is better serving us in that capacity.
What about the Zambian Airways imbroglio that has been unearthed? What other things has Mr Magande done in the dark corners that we have not heard or seen yet. I have little or nothing to say about the other presidential aspirants in the MMD because the fact that they have not been adopted speaks miles of them. Some of them were pure clowns and overestimated their abilities.
As for Sata and Hichilema, the dye has been cast and may the best candidate win although mad throwing has already started already.
I have heard some people saying Mr Sata is an old man whose age is not suitable for a President.
"Do you want another bye-election before 2011 again," I heard some ask. On that, I simply say age is nothing but a number. Ask John MCcain, Abdulaye Wade of Cameroun, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and our very own Mbingu Wa Mtarika of Malawi and in case I forget even Robert Mugabe from across the Victoria Falls. They also say Sata is a pure clown who cannot practice the good things he talks about. They say Sata is a good politician who can tell you what you want to hear and he can never do for you what you want done.
Some people are also saying HH (Hichilema) is a 'baby' in politics. They say he is a tribalist who took up the leadership of that party on tribal lines.
I only pray that this campaign trail will not trun ugly. I pray that there will be no violence and the elections will be free and fair. However, one thing is for sure-there will be bruises.

9 comments:

Suwi Situmbeko said...

Indeed the dust is settling and the battle lines have been drawn.I find you to be overly partial with Sata...The man will turn Zambia into a horrific nightmare we won't even compare to Zimbabwe.Even if age shouldn't matter, we 've all borne witness to what happens when you you defy the public's genuine call.Sata's not bringing any change or progression to the table...he 'll give us an Ftj reign encore compounded with spruced up dictatorial tendencies...He's extreme in his policies, impulsive in his actions and a lot unpredictable and a tad irrational...

Moreover, his health doesn't allow him; an aspirant should be of sound health; He's suffered a stroke once; the next time will be morbidly deadly.Understand one thing, the chances of one suffering from another stroke are augmented to a level so high when you fly often, when he becomes president, he will inevitably have to travel the world.

the people who say they don't want another state funeral are justified...Help me Lord, but I just can't help being cynical when it comes to Sata.infact, I think its prudent to scrutinise his actions painstakingly...

MMD, by picking Rupiah banda, the same old re-recycled brains and ideas hasn't helped much!

Seriously, the current hopefuls fill me with such a terrible sense of foreboding; Pragmatically speaking, we should put our money on Hichilema.He's capable of fostering development...Change we need; not the current set of nepotism that leaves our country reeling in its plight.

thepicturemonger said...

I apologise for being a purported PF supporter. I am journalist. I professional journalist and I want to keep this platform alng those lines. But I know that I am entitled to my own opnions and analyses in capacities such as a journalist, a citizen and and critic. Well, I am not a fan of Mr Sata. I know what he has done and what he hasnt done. Remember the barbaric events of Kanyama eight years ago. If I showed you images of what Mr Sata did during that parliamentary by-election, you would grow goose pimples. People were hacked to near death experiences.
When I defended Sata on age, it does not mean that I am a sympathyser. Mr Sata has his own strenghts and weaknesses just like you, me and even the late Dr Mwanawasa. My cards for now are not for any of the aspirants as I indicated because I am simply provinding a platform for debate where we can think loudly as we choose our leaders. I am simply bringing Zambia to your doorsteps especially you people in the diaspora. I know how it is out there because I have been this side and the other side and I have nothing to say.
I would have said the same with regard to age on HH. Some people say he is not mature and old enough to lead Zambia. Well, lets debate! I thank you.

Suwi Situmbeko said...

Glad to hear that.Only if we could have more journalists like you, maybe we 'd reason together, agree,and agree to disagree and really make informed choices at the end of the day.For what its worth, you are doing a remarkable job and its a great innovation; My copious thanks to you.
And just so I clarify, I don't entirely identify with HH, but for the mere reason of being politically apathetic, which of course yields no 'bienfaits' as you might well know, I 'd say he be the man...

thepicturemonger said...

I am glad to hea that my brother. We have to debate and help each other make informed decisions especially about people who want to be our leaders and take stock of our national resources among others.
I aapreciate the manner in which you have approached this manner with level headedness.
We need to scruitinise our leaders and this platform is among those for debate.
Best regards
Richie

thepicturemonger said...

I am glad to hea that my brother. We have to debate and help each other make informed decisions especially about people who want to be our leaders and take stock of our national resources among others.
I aapreciate the manner in which you have approached this manner with level headedness.
We need to scruitinise our leaders and this platform is among those for debate.
Best regards
Richie

Suwi Situmbeko said...

In my own carefully thought out assessment, The NEC of MMD arrived at Rupiah Banda for quite the wrong reasons, not coz he has the credentials or the guts to run a nation... politicians are very cunning and calculative and they know how to play their cards...they have to look at someone who won't alienate them,someone pliant to their demands and Rupiah happens to be such a one...they fear that if they deviated so much as to pick Magande, tables might turn coz they might not be in good books with astute Magande whose reputation is debatable anyway.Let me suffice it to say, Rupiah has no presidential bone in his body...It's not about age, i'm not worried he might go senile whilst still in office, he lacks sagacity and political tactfullness and a good sense of judgement, he doesn't look like the resilient and stoic kind...A president should command an air of dignity, authority and immense respect,stand for something profound and Banda bears no such traits, not even a semblance to them...

Sata has got enough filth on himself no one has to even exacerbate matters for him(all self-inflicted by his unconscionable character)...I hope the people don't fall for his fruitless promises this time around...For crying out loud, he as good as ruled the nation in chiluba's reign.He's driven by a deadly sense of urgency and an unflinching desire to be in State House, that just gives me the creeps and drives me up the wall altogether...To me, he measures to the pedigree of a desperate man.He's just got too many personality flaws even the maxim 'to err is human' doesn't assuage them; Even in the manner he presents himself...he's an erratic man with a precarious way of doing things...On one particular moment when he thought he was a heartbeat away from the presidency in the 2006 polls, he states unequivocally that he 'd drop all corrution charges levelled against his minions if he assumed office... Moments later, he completely dissociates himself from penitent looking Chiluba with callousness(I dont see any assertiveness in that)...Its the morality of it all that strikes too hard, it hits so close to home about the politicians we have.

he's never quite ceased to be indubitantly unreasonable, even with the case of Mayor Nakazwe...There's this impulsiveness about him that is ghastly and would be too much for the citizenry to deal with...Theres this touch of extremism in his mindset, the sort that abandons all pragmatism and the reality of the matter.

What we need to do is vote wisely and realise what irrevocable harm all these people are capapble of bringing to our nation...Its everyone's call to make Zambia a much better place for posterity.

thepicturemonger said...

You speak very weel Lanji. Its great to have such people who can analyse our forthcoming elections. Your views can help some people to make decisions about the polls. Best regards
Richie

thepicturemonger said...

You speak very weel Lanji. Its great to have such people who can analyse our forthcoming elections. Your views can help some people to make decisions about the polls. Best regards
Richie

Suwi Situmbeko said...

Thanks,