Maravi

Temperature is rising in MMD, says Katele

Temperature is rising in MMD, says Katele
By Brighton Phiri and Kelvin Tembo
Sunday January 20, 2008 [03:00]

MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba yesterday said the temperature within the party was rising in view of the internal and the 2011 presidential and general elections. And President Levy Mwanawasa warned that he would dismiss Cabinet ministers aspiring for the MMD presidency who would spend more time campaigning at the expense of government duties.

Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa declared that he was ready to campaign for three days in Lusaka's Kanyama Constituency to ensure that MMD won the parliamentary election scheduled for next month.

Speaking at the party's membership card renewal exercise at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Kalumba said the temperature within the ruling party was rising.

"Mr President, the MMD under your leadership is intact and at the same time the temperature is rising. The temperature is rising on a number of fronts. Something that quickly comes up to my mind is the by-election in Kanyama. If you think that you will have our nose running like in Chingola, you will have something different this time around,” Kalumba said.

“We are ready for war. There is only one simple cry from our people of Kanyama...give them the right candidate. Bayama namubomba (uncle Levy, you have done it)...the temperature is rising...It started with Professor Chirwa and many more names are coming up. As MMD secretariat, we are ready to serve you. We will give all the information you need for the temperature to rise.”

And President Mwanawasa said MMD members were free to declare their intentions to contest any position within the party.

“I see that some people are declaring that they want to stand. Some well-meaning party officials tell me that I should stop or ban this campaign. But I say go ahead and declare your intentions. It is good because our people will have the chance to discuss you. It will also help some of you to determine whether you are popular and if not you can gracefully withdraw,” President Mwanawasa said.

“What Professor Chirwa did was a good thing because it enabled us to discuss and say what we said about him. So go ahead and declare your intention. But I am concerned with presidential hopefuls who are at the same time cabinet ministers because they may spend more time on campaigning instead of working on government programmes. Now I have decided that when I feel that the campaigns are occupying much of your time, we will part company. I will relieve you of your duties so that you can concentrate on your campaigns and use your own vehicles instead of government vehicles.”

President Mwanawasa reminded MMD cadres that the party was not about posts and ambitious dreams as to who wanted to be presidential candidates but that the MMD was about food production and security, job creation, social welfare and poverty reduction.
President Mwanawasa observed that there was something fishy about why MMD had continued to lose elections in Lusaka.

“When I am going out of Lusaka and coming in, I am greeted by a large crowd of people. There is no politician who is commanding that kind of respect I am enjoying. So why is it that elections after elections we continue to lose?” he asked. “There is need to investigate why we lost so many seats on the Copperbelt and Lusaka. Some of you wondered why we have allowed the petition in Chingola. What is important is that some truth must be revealed.”

President Mwanawasa said the Kanyama by-election was very crucial.
“I want to have an MP from Kanyama. Speaking for myself, I am prepared to campaign for three days to ensure that we win the seat because I feel strongly about it,” President Mwanawasa said. “The people of Kanyama need to be given a right candidate.”
President Mwanawasa directed Lusaka Province MMD chairman Geoffrey Chumbwe to suspend a district official who was alleged to have directed the constituency MMD leadership to choose a candidate of his choice.

“We started the process of elections at branch and ward levels and proceeded to the constituency and district level. It has come to my attention that somebody from the district went and directed the constituency to choose a candidate he preferred. Mr Provincial chairman of Lusaka, I direct you to suspend that official because he is interfering with democracy,” President Mwanawasa said. “I am glad at the end of the day, the constituency rejected the directive of this official. If action is not taken against this official I will come down.”

On MMD elections, President Mwanawasa said he could not afford to accept leaders who bribe their way into party leadership positions.

“I am not going to tolerate reports of organs being bought by aspiring candidates, no matter how humble the position. Cadres must resist all temptations to sell the party to the highest bidder. MMD is not for sale,” he said. “We cannot allow our party’s moral fibre to be broken by briefcase politicians ready to dangle their ill-gotten money in front of our party members. This fight against corruption does not entertain hypocrites. Do not speak feverishly on corruption while you are busy throwing your dirty money at party cadres to ensure yourself the chances of being elected to your aspired position. That is not acceptable.”

President Mwanawasa said the party membership renewal could not be sustained if it was not driven by a commitment to truth in politics. He said sitting down alone in offices scheming out falsehoods about other party leaders was an equally abominable and morally decadent act.

“Stop telling lies about others. Speak the truth. Do not corrupt the truth,” he said.
President Mwwanawasa said the MMD leadership should not feel threatened with other people who had shown interest to contest their positions.
“We must not resist change,” he said.

President Mwanawasa expressed concern that some national executive members were in the habit of demanding for sitting allowances and to have their hotel bills settled by the party when they had contributed very little financial resources to the party.
“If you live outside Lusaka and do not have money for your food and lodging or have no relative to help, then stop coming for the NEC meeting or contest lower positions of the party that do not require you to travel to Lusaka,” he said.

President Mwanawasa observed that both party’s women and youth organs had gone to sleep.

“Our women and youth movements have gone to sleep. I urge the women chairperson and youth chairperson to work hard and improve the situation,” President Mwanawasa said.

On National Constitution Conference (NCC), President Mwanawasa it was not too much to assume that there would be a few who would always see the world upside down.

“It is understandable and no abusive language should be visited on them. Efyo bafyalwa...that is how they were born. But what I do not accept is that their misperceptions should form the standard norm for the majority who walk up right and see things as they are,” said President Mwanawasa.

MMD raised K60 million during the membership card renewal exercise.

Labels: MMD, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 6:57 PM