PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he has no intentions of replacing Vice-President George Kunda with United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota as reported in some sections of the media.

Mr Banda said at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday he was happy with the way Mr Kunda had continued to conduct himself and his commitment to duty.

The president said at Lusaka international airport before departure for Uganda that prior to appointing Mr Kunda as vice-president, he had to pray to God and asked him to grant him wisdom on who to appoint as his number two.

"I have no plans of replacing Mr Kunda who I have worked with so well. I read that story suggesting that I intend to replace Mr Kunda with Mr Sakwiba Sikota. I think that was the imagination of the writer," he said.

"I have never contemplated replacing Mr Kunda. I can say this in front of you members of the Press and God that I don't have two faces to laugh with him when I don't mean it," he said.

He said simply because he had travelled with Mr Sikota during the 2008 election campaign did not mean that he was taking over from Mr Kunda

Mr Banda further wondered why the name of his son who had been a businessman long before he became president was now being drawn into politics.