Levy threatens to kill any dissent in MMD

Levy threatens to kill any dissent in MMD
By Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti
Sunday March 30, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has warned that he will do everything possible to kill any dissent in the MMD. Addressing MMD cadres at Petauke Boarding High School on his arrival to officiate at the MMD Eastern Province special conference yesterday, President Mwanawasa said people support the MMD because it was the only party that could be entrusted with the responsibility of looking after their public affairs.

"I consider the Eastern Province to be a very important province in the MMD programmes and I will do everything possible to kill any dissent, any attempts to confuse our people," President Mwanawasa said.

"I have said the party is growing stronger but it's going stronger purely because it's in automatic gear, the senior party officials are busy quarrelling, engaging in unnecessary talk instead of concentrating on matters which push this nation forward. If you misgovern yourself, if you cannot provide proper and targeted leadership then you are letting them people down."

He said the provincial conference, where a new Province Executive Committee (PEC) will be ushered in, would have been unnecessary if the party affairs were managed well.

"If the affairs of the party were being handled in a responsible manner, bearing in mind that we are a lead party it would have been unnecessary to hold this conference. It would have been unnecessary to spend so much money instead of spending it on other party programmes," he said. "So this provincial conference is called to act, look at our party to see what should be done, to see how it can answer to the many challenges which today face in this province and the nation."

And President Mwanawasa indirectly dismissed his earlier ban on Lusaka Province minister Lameck Mangani not to contest the MMD provincial chairperson position.
He said he had read a slogan on one of the banners that read, "one man, one vote, one jacket" which implied that no one should hold two positions - one in the party and another in the government.

The slogan being carried by some MMD cadres was apparently targeted at Mangani as it was alleged that President Mwanawasa had earlier barred him from contesting the position advising him to concentrate on his ministerial portfolio or resign as minister if he wanted to be provincial chairperson.

President Mwanawasa advised MMD members to understand the party constitution because it was not stated anywhere that a person could not hold two or more positions.
President Mwanawasa said he was MMD president and Republican President.
"Are you saying I should not be your Republican President?" President Mwanawasa jokingly asked before leaving the podium.

Earlier, when he was greeting the party members, government officials and defence personnel, President Mwanawasa was overwhelmed to see Zambia Business Forum vice chairperson Sherry Thole, who once served as managing director of Intermarket Banking Corporation, on the queue to greet him.

"What are you doing here?" President Mwanawasa asked Thole. The latter smiled.
Thole, Mangani, Kennedy Zulu and Allan Sakala were contesting the position of MMD provincial chairperson.

And Eastern Province minister Charles Shawa thanked President Mwanawasa for frequently visiting the province.

Shawa thanked the government for allocating K28 billion in this year's national budget for developmental projects in Eastern Province.

"Kaulu High School has received K150 million. Money has also been allocated towards construction of Ukwimi Trades Training Institute in Petauke District," said Shawa.