PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Sata condemns those kicking against ministerial appointments for opposition MPs
Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Zambian President Michael Sata has lashed out at some opposition leaders kicking against his ministerial appointments for opposition Members Parliament, saying his administration was bent on creating a government where all patriotic Zambians can participate regardless of their political and other affiliations.
President Sata said those criticising the concept of inclusivity in governance lacked understanding of what government is all about.
The President’s remarks follows concerns expressed by some opposition parties, in particular the former ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and United Party for National Development (UPND), who have accused Sata of trying to weaken the opposition by appointing opposition members of parliament as deputy ministers.
PANA reports that the move had led to some appointed MPs being expelled from their parties.
But President Sata on Monday wondered why some opposition leaders were against his appointment of opposition MPs as if the parliamentarians being appointed were not Zambians.
"Why shouldn't we appoint them to government positions when this government is also theirs; It is a government of all Zambians! The Patriotic Front is not an ordinary political party. It is not by accident that we called it a front and not a party. And the rationale was that we wanted to create a front in which all Zambian patriots can participate in the governance and development of their country,” President Sata had said last Thursday in a statement.
He said: "For us, it doesn't matter where one comes from, which organisation he belongs to, which political party he is registered with; as long as he is a patriot and wants to come to the front and serve the country and the people, they are welcome. We have many people in government who were politically not with us but are patriots and have joined to serve their country and their people.
"So why should we prevent these MPs from coming to serve their country and their people?
If these MPs are patriots who want to serve their country by joining government, why should somebody have a problem with that? If you are not a patriot, then you won't understand what they are doing and you'll have a problem with it.”
Sata charged that those holding their members captive by stopping them from serving their country are failures at leadership and do not have the interest of Zambians at heart.
-0- PANA MM/VAO 11March2013
President Sata said those criticising the concept of inclusivity in governance lacked understanding of what government is all about.
The President’s remarks follows concerns expressed by some opposition parties, in particular the former ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and United Party for National Development (UPND), who have accused Sata of trying to weaken the opposition by appointing opposition members of parliament as deputy ministers.
PANA reports that the move had led to some appointed MPs being expelled from their parties.
But President Sata on Monday wondered why some opposition leaders were against his appointment of opposition MPs as if the parliamentarians being appointed were not Zambians.
"Why shouldn't we appoint them to government positions when this government is also theirs; It is a government of all Zambians! The Patriotic Front is not an ordinary political party. It is not by accident that we called it a front and not a party. And the rationale was that we wanted to create a front in which all Zambian patriots can participate in the governance and development of their country,” President Sata had said last Thursday in a statement.
He said: "For us, it doesn't matter where one comes from, which organisation he belongs to, which political party he is registered with; as long as he is a patriot and wants to come to the front and serve the country and the people, they are welcome. We have many people in government who were politically not with us but are patriots and have joined to serve their country and their people.
"So why should we prevent these MPs from coming to serve their country and their people?
If these MPs are patriots who want to serve their country by joining government, why should somebody have a problem with that? If you are not a patriot, then you won't understand what they are doing and you'll have a problem with it.”
Sata charged that those holding their members captive by stopping them from serving their country are failures at leadership and do not have the interest of Zambians at heart.
-0- PANA MM/VAO 11March2013
