MAGANDE PROMISES TO WORK ON KWACHA EXCHANGE RATE

National Movement for Progress (NMP) president Ng’andu Magande has pledged to reverse the exchange rate from the current K5, 000 to a United States dollar below K3, 000 if the people of Zambia gave him chance to lead Zambia after the 2011 presidential elections.

Mr Magande also said he would not address public rallies in the townships to avoid causing accidents when ferrying people to the rallies but would use radio stations to popularise his policies and convince the people that he was the right candidate to rule Zambia.

In an interview in Lusaka on Monday, Mr Magande, who is a former minister of Finance and National Planning, said time had come for the people of Zambia to vote a leader who had experience in the management of economic affairs.

He said he would also use his skills as former secretary general of the African Carribean and Pacific Group of States to influence development.

Mr Magande said around 2005, the exchange rate was at K5, 000 to a US dollar but he ensured that it dropped to below K3, 000 in 2007 because of the policies he introduced as minister of Finance.

He said he was not saying that as a way comparing his abilities with other leaders because such an approach was wrong since leaders had difference types of experience in governance.

Mr Magande said in planning for economic development of the country, he would involve ordinary citizens to achieve maximum results.

He said he would go to townships to address small groups of people and raise issues that affect them.

He cited Kuku Township in Lusaka which was prone to flooding while Chelstone needed roads and Kanyama required an improved drainage system.

Mr Magande said he was confident that NMP parliamentary candidates would campaign for him to secure victory and as such, there was no need of organising people for big rallies.

He said the party had only managed to field 20 candidates in all the provinces except Northern and Western provinces where it would use the provincial committees to win popularity.

Mr Magande said the NMP constitution had a chapter that dealt with promoting national unity and identity where all citizens would be involved in managing the affairs of the nation.