Maravi

PF councillors resolve to vote for UPND mayor

PF councillors resolve to vote for UPND mayor
By Lambwe Kachali and Patson Chilemba
Friday September 07, 2007 [04:00]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Lusaka councillors on Wednesday resolved to vote for UPND candidate Jimmy Dons in today’s mayoral elections in protest against PF top leadership’s directive for them to vote for Stephen Chilatu as mayor. And PF has stopped Lusaka deputy mayor Charles Msiska from contesting the position of mayor.

But Msiska said he would defy the directive because he had a lot of support. And Dons said he would take advantage of the confusion in PF to win the position of mayor.

PF sources disclosed yesterday that councillors differed with party vice-president Dr Guy Scott and spokesperson Given Lubinda during a meeting on Wednesday concerning the duo’s directive for them to vote for Chilatu and Msiska as mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

The source accused the PF top leadership of applying dictatorial tendencies and treating councillors like children. “At first we caucused on Saturday last week and it was discussed that the mayor and deputy mayor elections be subjected to free and fair elections.

And prior to this (Wednesday) meeting, we gave Dr Scott minutes of the last meeting. But to our surprise, he just commanded us to vote for Chilatu and Msiska to maintain their positions respectively or else he will ‘Nakazwe’ us, meaning we shall be expelled from the party,” the source disclosed.

The source said it would not help PF if its president Michael Sata and his top colleagues continued to run the party on dictatorial lines.

“We are not kids to be commanded every time. During last year’s mayoral elections, Sata did the same. He commanded us to vote for Susan Nakazwe as mayor but she disappointed him. This is what is worrying us,” the source said.

The source said Dr Scott, who chaired the Wednesday meeting, should know that voting was a secret exercise and councillors had resolved to vote in favour of Dons.
“Our aim is to teach them a lesson so that they stop their coercive attitudes,” said the source.

And Dons said several PF councillors had approached him promising to give him their votes.

“It’s like PF has failed to give freedom to its members. I am taking advantage of this confusion and I have no doubts that I will win the elections,” said Dons.
But Lubinda said in an interview yesterday that PF resolved to retain Chilatu and Msiska as mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

Lubinda said this had been done to avoid unnecessary acrimony in the running of the council.

“I and the party vice-president conducted a meeting with the councillors yesterday (Wednesday) and we concluded that since Chilatu and Msiska have only been in office for a few months, they should continue in the same positions for another year so that they are known to the councillors,” Lubinda said. “Anyone who does anything contrary shall be going against the party position and will be looked at as having brought the party into disrepute.”
Lubinda said the quarrels that have been going on between Chilatu and Msiska were not healthy.

“It’s not acceptable that there be quarrels but the thing is that we have identified the quarrelling and because it is embarrassing we want to put an end to it,” said Lubinda.

But Msiska maintained that he would contest the position of mayor because he has a lot of support. Msiska said this was not the first time he would be stopped from contesting his preferred position.

Msiska, who is PF Kabulonga Ward 16 councillor, said during the last mayoral elections, he contested the position of deputy mayor even though Sata preferred councilor Mary Phiri for the position.

Msiska was elected deputy mayor three months ago after polling 18 votes against Mary Phiri's 14 votes.

Labels: PF, SATA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 6:09 AM