PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has urged MMD members to immediately mobilise themselves and form a pact through mass recruitment with the Zambian people ahead of the 2011 general elections.

He said it was clear that the pact between the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) was not people-centred but bent on enhancing the interests of the two party leaders, Michael Sata and Hakainde Hichilema, respectively.

"I don't know if we should be talking about the pact now because I don't know if it still exists," Mr Banda said.

Speaking yesterday whenhe addressed a mammoth rally at Limulunga Basic School in Luena Constituency ahead of the August 5 by-election, Mr Banda said time had come for the people of Zambia to know the truth behind the PF/UPND pact.

Mr Banda said the forthcoming by-elections had created an opportunity for the people to know the realities behind the PF and UPND Pact.

"The PF and UPND Pact is not for the people but for putting the two leaders in power," he said.

He said the MMD should form a real pact with Zambians and urged its members to conduct door-to-door campaigns.

He said the MMD respected the electorate and would always go back to them to beg for a vote.

The president thanked the people of Western Province for helping him win the last elections after the death of president Levy Mwanawasa.

He said even if the PF and UPND Pact was to form Government in 2011, they would still not sustain their alliance because of the personal interests that each one of them had.

The MMD was determined to remain a popular party on the Zambian political scene and would ensure that all Zambians were engaged in the formulation of development programmes.

President Banda reiterated that Mr Sata and Mr Hichilema were currently caught up in trouble caused by their own doings as they were on record of having attacked each other publicly on issues pertaining to age.

He urged the people of Luena not to vote for the PF and UPND as they were both tribal parties whose presence was still regional. He said the MMD was the only party with a national character.

Mr Banda condemned former Luena MP Charles Milupi for causing a by-election and recontesting the seat.

He urged the people to vote for MMD candidate Mwangala Maopu as he was the choice of the party and the local people.

Meanwhile, President Banda has challenged fellow political party leaders in the country to condemn electoral violence as it threatened the freedom of choice.

He said an election marred by violence ended up delivering leaders undesirable to the electorate.

Speaking when he arrived at Mongu Airport yesterday to drum up support for Mr Maopu ahead of the August 5 Luena parliamentary by-election, Mr Banda said he was opposed to violence and wanted fellow leaders to join him.

Mr Banda also called for respect among among political leaders and urged them to desist from name-calling.

He said politicians such as Mr Hichilema were in a habit of calling him an old man even when his partner in the pact, Mr Sata was also old.

The president said he was impressed that so far, the campaigns in Luena were going on peacefully and that people were determined to vote.

Mr Banda, who briefly spoke in Lozi language, said time had come for the MMD to take over the Luena seat from Mr Milupi who allegedly did not appreciate people's support in the previous elections.

He said Mr Milupi was elected by the people of Luena as member of Parliament after being rejected by the MMD in past elections.

He said despite being given the mandate, Mr Milupi surrendered the seat and now wanted to "mock" the people by asking for another vote.

MMD national chairperson Micheal Mabenga said the people of Luena were ready to vote for the MMD, and that the ground was fertile for the ruling party to emerge victorious.