Maravi

MMD under pressure for female president

MMD under pressure for female president
By Patson Chilemba and Lambwe Kachali
Sunday April 20, 2008 [04:00]

THE ruling MMD should adopt a woman to contest the 2011 presidential elections, party National Executive Committee (NEC) member Judith Kapijimpanga yesterday said. In an interview, Kapijimpanga, who is MMD chairperson for lands, urged the party 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. She urged women in the party to come out and declare their intentions.

"It could be a man or woman (for president), but this time, they could give chance to women," Kapijimpanga said. "As the saying goes, when you are looking for the best man for the job, usually that man could actually be a woman."

Kapijimpanga said there must be unity of purpose among women if they were to rise to senior positions in the party.

She urged women to desist from the tendency of pulling each other down.
"We need to support each other as women," Kapijimpanga said.

When asked to name some women leaders in her party that were up to this challenge, Kapijimpanga said although she knew some, she would not mention any names.

Asked if she was interested in the MMD presidency, Kapijimpanga said she had not given it a thought.
However, Kapijimpanga said she would depend on God to help the party choose a leader and that she would accept the candidate the party would adopt for the elections.

Kapijimpanga also said the MMD should create strategies to ensure that it remained in power after 2011.
"We should embrace the grassroots and listen to them more. We shouldn't like throw out everything they say," said Kapijimpanga.

Labels: JUDITH KAPIJIMPANGA, MMD, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 5:28 AM