UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka says late delivery of farming inputs this season has nothing to do with last year’s general elections.

Agriculture minister Dora Siliya recently attributed the delay in delivery of farming inputs to elections.

But Katuka argued that elections could not affect functions of a ministry.

“Miss Siliya’s claim lacks substance and has exposed her inconsistency because a few days ago she defended her vacation in the United States of America by saying that there is no vacancy in government in the absence of a minister or president,” Katuka said.

“The offices of government were not closed because of elections, so what is she talking about now? Does she mean that the PF had also gone on holiday and everyone now for the first time had gone on holiday? Because the things she was saying were not possible.”

Katuka insisted that Siliya’s claims lacked substance.

“It is the inconsistency of this government that is causing us all these problems, I don’t think there is any substance in that story, there is totally no substance in whatever she was saying,” said Katuka.

And Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection director Fr Leonard Chiti described Siliya’s reasoning as illogical and unjustified.

He said under normal circumstances, government was supposed to continue running despite elections and petition of the presidential election result.

“I think the logical that the minister used to justify the situation in that manner because government is supposed to continue running inspite of national programmes like elections. I also want to advise government to always consider the interests of the poor people who depend on government inputs for cultivation,” said Fr Chiti.

“Government must be bold enough and admit their failure to deliver the farming inputs to farmers on time.”

Siliya has however maintained that the August elections were one of the reasons why government delayed in delivering farming inputs because they gobbled a lot of money, resulting in late funding for the ministry.