Maravi

Levy tells MMD to ‘grab’ PF seats

Levy tells MMD to ‘grab’ PF seats
By Chibaula Silwamba in Mansa
Monday May 26, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has told MMD members to take advantage of his reconciliation with Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to ‘grab’ parliamentary and local government seats from PF. And MMD sources revealed that President Mwanawasa warned that people opposing the naming of Chembe Bridge after him would frustrate his efforts to mobilise money to tar the Pedicle Road.

Several MMD sources revealed that during a closed-door meeting with MMD senior party officials in Mansa last Thursday, President Mwanawasa - who chaired the meeting - said it was up to MMD members to take advantage of the newly found friendship with the PF to recapture the seats, which were won by the PF and other opposition political parties.
“The President said ‘take advantage of my reconciliation with Sata and the newly-found friendship with the PF to grab the seats from the PF;’ he said he had done his part and it was up to the membership to get back the seats we lost to the PF,” the sources said. “He said let us recapture our lost glory.”

Another source said President Mwanawasa said there was need for the MMD to use the reconciliation as a vehicle to recruit more members from the PF and other opposition political parties.

“He said we have to use this opportunity to strengthen our party. He encouraged us to open up to new members from other parties who want to join us,” the source said. Another source confirmed that President Mwanawasa said the MMD members in Luapula Province should take advantage of the PF to retain the seats, which were won by PF members of parliament in the 2006 elections.

“The President said he had reconciled with Sata and it’s up to us to reconcile with PF members. He said we lost in Luapula and now that he had reconciled with Sata, it was high time the MMD members and PF members stopped fighting and quarrelling. He told us to take advantage of the PF to retain the seats we lost,” the source said.
The sources further revealed that President Mwanawasa complained that former Luapula Province minister Kennedy Sakeni and other people were against the naming of Chembe Bridge after him when it was his personal effort to build the bridge although he does not originate from Luapula.

“President Mwanawasa complained that ‘why don’t you people give respect for what somebody has done?’ He said it was his personal effort to put up a bridge across Luapula River. In fact, he complained against Sakeni who was trying to oppose the naming of the bridge after him,” the sources said. “He said even your brother former Republican president Frederick Chiluba never thought of putting up a bridge but it’s my personal commitment to put up the bridge.’”
The source further said President Mwanawasa said some people had a perception that he hated Chiluba despite the latter having anointed him as his successor.

The source said President Mwanawasa explained that contrary to that perception, he does not hate Chiluba.
“He said he likes Chiluba and appreciates what he did to pick him as his successor,” the source said.

The sources said President Mwanawasa explained that Chiluba had committed certain financial offences and the donors would like to know how the money they donated to Zambia was used and that he could not stop Chiluba’s prosecution.

The source further said MMD members demanded that district commissioners should be appointed from among MMD cadres.
The source also said President Mwanawasa expressed his commitment to develop Luapula Province.

Labels: MMD, MWANAWASA, PF

posted by MrK @ 3:41 AM