No Short Cuts In Finding The Successor– Scott

KABANDA CHULU, Lusaka
THERE won’t be any short cuts in finding President Sata’s successor and the Patriotic Front (PF) will have to find money to hold a general conference to elect a presidential candidate, Acting President Guy Scott has said.
And Dr Scott, who is PF president, has constituted a committee to handle preparations for the general conference.
Dr Scott has also warned of stern action against PF members showing solidarity to certain members of the central committee if they become a threat to public order and peace during the countdown to the party presidential by-election.
Speaking to journalists after receiving a letter of condolences from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, delivered by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Scott said the PF was bound by its constitution and no one would be allowed to abrogate it.
“We shall democratically elect a candidate, and it will happen at the general conference, which is like our national convention comprising 5,000 people from all parts of the country. The last time short cuts were followed in choosing a candidate was under President Chiluba, the MMD got split into FDD, Heritage Party and PF because Sata and many others were aggrieved when Mwanawasa was handpicked and what remained were remnants of MMD which almost lost to the UPND of Mazoka,” Dr Scott said.
When asked if that was the consensus of the general membership and if the ruling party has money to conduct a convention, Dr Scott said that the central committee will today meet and decide when the general conference will be held.
“The central committee is meeting to iron out issues relating to logistics and the date of holding the conference. The people who helped us to get into power can still provide the funds and we have just gotten gratuity [as MPs] so we can make contributions,” Dr Scott said.
“It is only people [General Conference]who can amend the constitution and not us apamwambas [elite]. You see, Cairo Road is full of street lawyers, bush lawyers who are saying this or that includ-ing that Guy Scott can’t act as president but my legacy is to ensure a smooth transition of power,” he said.
Dr Scott said the PF was a party of rules and regulations.
Earlier, Mr Rugunda said President Museveni would have loved to attend President Sata’s funeral but was constrained with time to attend other duties.
In his letter of condolences, President Museveni described President Sata as a leader who stabilised Zambia through various policies which included fighting corruption and improving infrastructure.
And Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was saddened at the death of President Sata.
Speaking through a special envoy Chen Zhenggao who met Dr Scott yesterday, President Xi said a loss for Zambia was also a loss for China.
President Xi said China would continue cooperating with Zambians and their government.
And in a statement yesterday, Dr Scott said: “After perusing the provisions of the PF constitution and in particular Article 52 which provides for the election of the president of the party and the presidential candidate in a national election, I have decided to constitute a committee to handle the preparations for the general elections.
“The general conference shall be held on or before November 29, 2014. In view of the above, the central committee meeting which was due to be held on Thursday, November 13, 2014 has been deferred.”
The committee tasked to handle the preparations for the conference includes PF treasurer Emmanuel Chenda, Member of the Central Committee (MCC) Chishimba Kambwili and Anthony Kasolo, who is also an MCC.
Others are PF deputy secretary general Bridget Atanga and Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, who is MCC and chairperson for Constitutional Affairs.
And the PF has deferred the central committee meeting which was scheduled to take place today to a later date.
Dr Scott said that this is to give time to the committee which has been composed to handle the preparations of the general conference.
He said that the central committee meeting will take place on or before November 29 this year.