Maravi

Maureen is MMD's only female option - Teta

Maureen is MMD's only female option - Teta
By Patson Chilemba
Monday April 21, 2008 [04:00]

MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba has said there is currently no woman in the party apart from first lady Maureen Mwanawasa who can challenge men for the presidency. And MMD deputy national secretary Jeff Kande said although the presidency was not a preserve for men alone, women would not get it on a silver plate.

Commenting on the statement by MMD chairperson for lands Judith Kapijimpanga that the party should adopt a woman to contest the 2011 presidential elections, Tetamashimba observed that there was no woman in the party who could match up to Maureen's standards.

He said Maureen had no competitor amongst women in the party.
"I think when she said "no, I'm not standing", for me the opportunity for women was thrown out because I thought she was the only woman who could stand up to men," Tetamashimba said. "When she said she's not standing, then I'm saying there is no woman who can stand.

Even Kapijimpanga herself, ask her if she can stand... because when you look at the first lady, she has the eloquence, she's just in her own class."

Tetamashimba advised women with intentions for the presidency to match up to Maureen's charisma, good character and credibility.

"For now, I have not seen any one who can claim to have the charisma like that of the first-lady and I challenge these ladies to say they can match up to that," he said.

Tetamashimba said Maureen was only disadvantaged because she was still in State House and that had she declared, people would have viewed that as a third-term.

However, Tetamashimba said after 2011, he would try to persuade Maureen to u-turn on her position not to contest the presidency.

And Kande said the ball was in the hands of women in the party to stand up to the challenge.

He said the MMD would not adopt a woman just for the sake of it.
Kande said women had to qualify to be elected both for the party and Republican presidency.

Defence minister George Mpombo, who is also acting president, said appointments of women to positions of authority should be based on merit.

He said it would be very dangerous to the nation if women were to be appointed or elected solely based on gender.

Mpombo said women who want to be considered for leadership positions should have a strong political background.

"In Liberia, you've got a Liberian President who is a woman. When you look at her political history, she's got a rich history. You look at (Hillary) Clinton and the Bhutto family. So these things have got to be based on merit. It's the matter of applying themselves vigorously in society," he said.

Mpombo urged more educated women to join the MMD so that they could market themselves to the nation.

However, Mpombo said he had noted with dismay the tendency by women of pulling each other down.

"Recently, we had the appointment of the deputy chief justice Irene Mambilima. We have not seen any congratulatory message from women civil society organisations. This is a negative aspect of behaviour," said Mpombo.

On Sunday, Kapijimpanga urged the MMD leadership to create an enabling environment for women who have the potential, are educated and have demonstrated good leadership skills to contest the presidency.
Kapijimpanga said MMD had a lot of prominent and educated women who could lead the party.

Labels: MAUREEN, MMD, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 4:36 AM