Kazala urges NEC to adopt Magande

Kazala urges NEC to adopt Magande
By Patson Chilemba, Mwala Kalaluka and Lambwe Kachali
Saturday August 30, 2008 [04:01]

FORMER Nchanga MMD member of parliament Richard Kazala yesterday urged the party national executive committee (NEC) to put national interests first by electing finance minister Ng'andu Magande as presidential candidate in the forthcoming presidential by-elections. But the MMD in Western Province resolved to support Vice-President Rupiah Banda as their presidential candidate.

Commenting on the succession debate in the MMD, Kazala said Vice-President Banda, who is also Acting President, wanted to reap where he did not sow.

Kazala said Magande had managerial skills and shared in late President Levy Mwanawasa's 'New deal' vision that had brought about economic development in the country.

"The Vice-President can continue in the same position but if he wishes to hijack the MMD, it's like you are reaping where you never planted seed. I would call that chancing. Let the man who was heavily involved in the formulation of the Fifth National Development Plan FNDP and other economic programmes be elected," Kazala said.

He said most of those campaigning for Vice-President Banda were just jobseekers. Kazala said MMD stood little chance of winning if it elected Vice-President Banda because among all the presidential aspirants in MMD, Magande was the most credible.

He further urged MMD to uphold the party constitution. Kazala said as far as he was concerned, Vice-President Banda had not clocked two years in the party to enable him to contest the presidency.

"People looking for the Vice-President are looking for jobs. Tetamashimba MMD spokesperson wants to become a Cabinet minister. VJ Vernon Mwaanga is retired, he's saying he shall campaign. Is he looking for a job? We don't want job seekers," Kazala said.

"I would urge NEC members not to take into account the petitions from Eastern and other provinces. The party constitution has no clause that they should accept the petitions."

And MMD in Western Province endorsed Vice-President Banda's candidature.

In a statement signed by over 30 leaders of the ruling party in the province, the members confirmed their unequivocal support for the Vice-President.

"We the undersigned members of the MMD National Executive Committee and Western Province's provincial executive committee, district executive committee, members of parliament and local government councilors, as well as committed party members, do hereby, confirm our strong and unequivocal support for the application of Mr. Rupiah B. Banda, as the party presidential candidate," the statement read.

"We reject the notion that the next President should be based on ethnicity or pretentious inter-community 'cousin-ships' or personal self trumpet blowing."