Maravi

Levy counsels MMD MPs over dangers of 50%+1

Levy counsels MMD MPs over dangers of 50%+1
By Brighton Phiri and Patson Chilemba
Wednesday April 23, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa yesterday cautioned MMD members sitting on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) over the 50 per cent plus one majority presidential vote in view of what is happening in Kenya and Zimbabwe. And President Mwanawasa has banned MMD officials from issuing careless statements on the crisis.

Meanwhile, the MMD has suspended Lusaka Province chairman Geoffrey Chumbwe for calling for the removal of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe from office by force.
According to MMD sources, President Mwanawasa, during MMD parliamentary caucus meeting at State House yesterday, advised MMD members of parliament and party's representatives sitting on the NCC to take a leaf of the implications that had arisen in Kenyan and Zimbabwean elections as a result of enshrining a 50 per cent plus one presidential vote requirement in the constitution.

"President Mwanawasa, however, did not ask the MMD members to vote against the 50 plus one per cent but appealed to them to consider its implications in view what was happening in Kenya and Zimbabwe. It was clear that President Mwanawasa was telling MMD members that the 50 plus one per cent has failed in the two countries," said a source, who declined to be named.

According to the source, President Mwanawasa also warned MMD officials against issuing careless statements on Zimbabwe's crisis saying it would not be in the interest of Zambians for the two countries to go to war on account of careless statements. The source said President Mwanawasa reminded MMD members that there was a government spokesperson, MMD chairperson for international relations and party spokesperson who were eligible to issue press statements whenever there was need for that.

The source further disclosed that there was a heated debate when defence deputy minister Mwendoi Akakandelwa raised the issue of the Barotseland agreement, which called for secession of Western Province.

According to the source, Akakandelwa's statement did not please President Mwanawasa who openly dismissed it. The source said Akakandelwa's statement was also dismissed by defence minister George Mpombo, Western Province MMD chairperson Joseph Mulyata and labour deputy minister Austin Liato, all of whom said calls for Western Province's secession were not supported by majority of people from the province.

And in a statement, MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba stated that President Mwanawasa implored the NCC members to make a constitution that would be acceptable to Zambians and not tailored on personalities.

Tetamashimba said the MMD members thanked President Mwanawasa for the manner in which he chaired the extra-ordinary SADC summit in Lusaka and also for his appeal not to allow the Chinese ship carrying arms for Zimbabwe to offload in South Africa, Mozambique or Angola.
Tetamashimba further said President Mwanawasa expressed his disappointment with Chumbwe's careless statement on Zimbabwe and advised that party organ statements be issued by the party's spokesperson.

Tetamashimba also confirmed that MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande had suspended Chumbwe over his remarks against President Mugabe.

But Chumbwe said he did not regret making the statement on President Mugabe.
Kaande said Chumbwe's statement had been found to be highly inimical and a recipe to strain relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe. He said MMD was a democratic party that could not encourage any change of government or leadership by force in any country.

"The statement was not sanctioned by the party; it was an act of an indisciplined individual and must not be attributed or viewed as the official position of the MMD," Kaande said. "In view of the serious nature of the statement, Mr. Chuumbwe has been suspended with immediate effect until further notice."

Kaande further said all MMD officials were reminded not to issue press statements anyhow without clearing such statements with the party secretariat.
But Chumbwe said he had not been officially informed by the party leadership of his suspension.

"I even went to State House for the meeting but I had to leave when some staff at the secretariat told me that I have been suspended," he said.

Chumbwe said he would only apologise for embarrassing President Mwanawasa but not over the statements on President Mugabe.

"I might be suspended but I don't regret what I said and I cannot apologise. To be honest, it was not my intention to embarrass President Mwanawasa because I thought I was protecting him, because they have been attacking him a lot. But I stand by what I said," he said.

Asked how he felt about his suspension, Chumbwe said each organisation had its own type of administration.

However, he said as provincial chairman he never suspended people anyhow.
"As chairperson when people err, sometimes I just talk to them. But regarding my suspension, if the party feels that's the way things should be handled, then let it be so," said Chumbwe.

On Saturday, Chumbwe said President Mugabe should be removed from power by force. He said SADC leaders should mobilise themselves and enforce maximum force to remove President Mugabe from power.

Chumbwe said there was a huge problem in Zimbabwe and that Zambia was already experiencing the spill-over effects of the difficulties Zimbabweans were going through. He said it was unfortunate that some ZANU-PF members were alleging that Zambia was being used by Britain to push for regime change in Zimbabwe.

Labels: GEOFFREY CHUMBWE, MMD, MWANAWASA, NCC

posted by MrK @ 4:05 AM