Maravi

'A Lozi President' faces opposition in W/Province

'A Lozi President' faces opposition in W/Province
By Mwala Kalaluka
Monday June 18, 2007 [04:00]

THE MMD in Western Province has distanced itself from the group of people who hail from the province and are suggesting that a Lozi should succeed President Levy Mwanawasa. In an interview yesterday, MMD Western Province chairman Simasiku Namakando said the ruling party in the area would only support a presidential candidate with a national acclaim regardless of their ethnic inclination.

Namakando has further warned MMD members campaigning for the party presidency ‘privately’ following the recent ban on such activities by President Mwanawasa of unspecified consequences.

Namakando said the views expressed by a few prominent people from Western Province that it was time for a Lozi to take over from President Mwanawasa did not represent the general views of people from the province.

“We shall support anybody chosen by the people of Zambia regardless of the region he comes from,” Namakando said.

“So any Zambian who will be supported by all the provinces will be supported by the people (MMD) of Western Province.

“Those who are saying that only a man from Western Province should be elected are misleading themselves.”

He said should it happen that a credible and capable presidential candidate emerges from Western Province to take over from President Mwanawasa, the other provinces, in the spirit of nationalism, should support that candidate.

“Any province is capable of producing a good president and the Western Province is capable also,” Namakando said.

“But should we support even a riff-ruff and somebody who is not clean just because he is from Western Province.”

Namakando said the MMD in the province had not yet met to discuss personalities who could take over from President Mwanawasa and that when the time comes they would consult various stakeholders including the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE).
“The Western Province is part of Zambia. The people of Western Province have a right to elect and to be elected,” Namakando said. “So having an ambition for the presidency is not an offence at all especially that the President (Mwanawasa) is retiring at the end of his term.”

But he said right channels must be followed to arrive at that objective.
“The people of Western Province are also entitled to rule this country but it must not take just a small group of people in Lusaka to hijack the process and the opinion of the people of Western Province,” he said.

He said the views of the ‘group’ of some people from Western Province, who met to discuss diverse issues of concern, could not represent the opinion of the MMD in the area because people from other political parties attended the meeting.
And Namakando warned that those campaigning for the presidency secretly were doing so at their own peril.

According to the minutes of the Western Province consultative meeting held on March 4, 2007, the chairman Siyoto Kunyanda stated that the meeting was convened to discuss among other things unity amongst people of Western Province and a roadmap for the identification of a credible candidate with the capacity to mobilise resources to float for the position of president of MMD and ultimately Republican president.

The participants during the deliberations agreed that there was need to cultivate unity amongst the people of Western Province so that they could work together and support each other.

They resolved that having supported Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba and President Levy Mwanawasa, “it was now opportune for a president from Western Province.”

Among the people that attended the meeting were Kunyanda (chairman), Michael Mabenga, Walusiku Lisulo, Alexis Luhila, M. Kaingu, labour deputy minister Austin Liato, education minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, Michael Kaingu, Charles Milupi, Mubita Mwangala, Richard Mwapela, Hastings Imasiku, Dominic Mbangu, L. Mwiyakui, F.N Mulonda, C.A Mulonda, Simataa Simwinji, M. Likukela and Mwendoi Akakandelwa.

Others were Nellie Mutti, Dr Mbikusita Wamundila Lewanika, M. Wakumelo, Mwangala Zaloumis, J. Songolo, F. Libona, Fridah Luhila, G. Mununka, S. Mukwalikuli, S.M Kalaluka, Lioko Mbaimbai and M. Mutukwa.

Labels: MMD, TRIBALISM, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 3:46 PM