President Confident in Economy

3 June 2011

President Rupiah Banda has said he is confident that the economic development so far recorded in the last three years when he has been in office will translate into victory for him and the ruling party in this year’s presidential and general elections.

Speaking in an interview shortly before departure for the Copperbelt where he is scheduled to officially open the Copperbelt Mining, Agriculture and Commercial Show (CMACS) today, President Banda said he was particularly impressed with the massive support he had been receiving from traditional leaders in the country.

Mr Banda urged traditional leaders to render support to his administration because he had worked well with them since he was elected into office.

He said it was not possible for him to impress all the people and traditional leaders but was happy that the majority of them had made it clear that they would support him because of his deeds.

The president said the development projects his Government had undertaken were being appreciated by the Zambian people and hoped they would retain him during the elections as a show of appreciation.

He also said CMACS was important for the country’s economy and was happy to officiate and see for himself the development projects taking place in the mining province of the country.

Mr Banda said he was looking forward to the activities at the show and would also take time while in the area to hold meetings with MMD officials and cadres.

The president said following the adoption process by the ruling party that would start next week, it was important that he started talking to the people on the ground.

He was seen off at Lusaka International Airport by Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu, service chiefs and other Government officials.

And speaking on arrival at Ndola International Airport, President Banda said pressure was not on the ruling party but the opposition to attempt to conceal the successes that his Government had achieved since taking office.

He said his administration was aware that the public appreciated the many developmental programmes and would not waste time to listen to opposition leaders who had failed to achieve similar development when they were in power.

“They have been saying that mobile hospitals are useless but they were not meant for them but the people in rural areas with no hospital or clinics near them,” he said.

Mr Banda said the Government was reconstructing roads in various parts of the country so that mobile hospitals were able to reach all the intended areas.

He said it was unfortunate that the opposition had made the hospitals a campaign issue but that the beneficiaries had flocked to the facilities to receive treatment.

Mr Banda said the party should go to the polls with confidence that its work had transformed the country and that given another five years would deliver further development.

President Banda said development was about supporting the citizenry to work hard in achieving bumper harvests and for the Government to pay for their hard work as it had done in the past two farming seasons.

He said people had responded well to Government’s agricultural policies and that this had guaranteed future bumper harvests.

He urged the MMD leadership in the province to work hard and ensure that it convinced the electorate to vote for the ruling party.

He also re-emphasized the need for the party membership to adopt capable people to contest as parliamentarians and councillors to ensure continued strengthening of the party.

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