22 December 2008
VICE-President George Kunda has said the Government will make provisions in next year's Budget to carry the nation through the effects of the global financial crisis and urged opposition parties and other stakeholders to make suggestions so that they can be taken on board.
Addressing MMD officials in Kabwe yesterday, Mr Kunda said it was irresponsible for the opposition to accuse the Government of having failed to show leadership on tackling the many challenges that Zambia was facing as a result of the global economic meltdown.
The Vice-President challenged opposition political parties to partner with the Government in seeking solutions to mitigate the effects of the global economic crunch by suggesting measures for possible inclusion in the Budget instead of trying to make political capital out of the matter.
"As a Government we have taken and we shall continue to take drastic measures that are aimed at mitigating the global economic crunch. We have pulled out of hosting the All-Africa Games where we shall save about K1 trillion for other developmental projects.
"Other than this we are working on next year's Budget and as a concerned Government we have considered the issue of the global economic meltdown," Mr Kunda said.
The Vice-President said even in developed countries like the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and Japan, the issue of the global crisis was being addressed in a national manner, which is how it should be in Zambia.
"In America, Republicans and the Democrats have come together to seek solutions to this global crisis and so has UK and Japan but in Zambia it is not the case with our opposition who to them is an opportunity to maliciously say President Banda and the MMD have failed," Mr Kunda said.
He said if the opposition had good ideas on how best the Government could surmount the economic challenges facing the country, it was high time they made suggestions to the state.
"The opposition should know that there can only be one president at a time and that President Banda is the man in charge. Let them wait for 2011 but this is not to say they should not make suggestions to the Government on the many challenges around," Mr Kunda said.
He said failure by the opposition political parties to offer tangible solutions would render them irrelevant to the political scene in Zambia.
Mr Kunda urged Zambians to rally behind the leadership of President Banda and not be misled by politicking opposition parties who had nothing to offer.
"In Kabwe the opposition blamed the Government on the closure of the Zambia-China Mulungushi Textiles, concession of the Railway Systems of Zambia and the closure of the mines but this does not mean once we address these problems they will stop talking, no," Mr Kunda said.
He reiterated the Government's commitment to the fight against corruption and respect for the rule of law as well as transparency.
Mr Kunda said donors had so much confidence in the Government, which was why the USA had given Zambia a grant of U$700 million through the millennium challenge account (MCA).
The Vice-President said the Government was continuing with late President Mwanawasa's legacy and the international community spoke of Zambia highly on issues of governance.
Mr Kunda also called for an end to internal squabbles in the ruling party stressing that members should work hard ahead of the 2011 elections.
He said it was sad that the party lost in Bwacha and Kabwe central constituencies and as such members should work hard to deliver positively in 2011 elections.
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