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Some MMD officials think they own Rupiah – Katele

Some MMD officials think they own Rupiah – Katele
Written by Patson Chilemba, Lambwe Kachali, Margaret Mtonga and Constance Matongo
Friday, January 30, 2009 1:14:06 PM

MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba yesterday disclosed that Michael Mabenga offered the acting party presidency to President Rupiah Banda because some party officials tried to create divisions in the party.

In an interview, Kalumba said MMD national chairman Mabenga and other senior party officials nominated President Banda as party interim president in order to maintain unity. He said there were party officials who thought they owned President Banda.

Asked if he was referring to people like MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba and works and supply minister Mike Mulongoti among others, Kalumba responded: "These people are on public record, you published them. You have the record to show that these are the people who were advocating that President Banda be the party president. My position is that they have taken a different approach. I don't know who went to organise the district officials in Lusaka to come and demonstrate at our offices. I was not aware. Now that is giving an impression that the party is divided."

Kalumba further said the MMD constitution did not have any clause that subjected the position of acting party president to elections. He said the offer of presidency to President Banda was purely based on administrative advice.

"Those people who are saying that we have violated the party constitution do not know what they are talking about," Kalumba said.

He said as things stood, Mabenga's decision to nominate President Banda as acting party president was just a proposal that could either be rejected or adopted by the national executive committee (NEC).

Kalumba further urged MMD members with presidential ambitions to campaign at the convention to be held next year.

"I urge [former works and supply minister Ludwig] Sondashi and the others to stop quarrelling so as to enhance unity and peace in the party," Kalumba said. "I would like to plead with those who are quarrelling over President Rupiah's offer to stop the bickering because time for campaigning is not now. I find it very disturbing when senior members of the party who are learned and know the history and constitution want to start confusing party issues."

On Sondashi's statement that some NEC members received kickbacks and job offers when they arrived at a decision to adopt President Banda as interim president, Kalumba said NEC members did not engage in any form of corruption.

Meanwhile, Presidential affairs minister Gabriel Namulambe said it was clear that nobody wanted Sondashi to take over the MMD presidency.

"Dr Sondashi ought to know that nobody in the MMD NEC would adopt him for presidency because in 2008, he stood and he got zero votes and that in itself should send a signal to him," Namulambe said. "We have people from North-Western Province in NEC. Surely Dr Sondashi should have gotten a vote from his relatives but his people too rejected him. So he shouldn't expect people that are not his relatives to trust him when his own betrayed him."

Namulambe said Sondashi should not think that he had the monopoly of wisdom to criticise the work of NEC.

"Dr Sondashi must learn to respect the views of other people unlike placing himself above everyone else because if he thinks he is wise then we'll also say we are wiser than him by far," said Namulambe.

The MMD last week announced the appointment of President Banda as interim party president until the next convention. However, the decision was criticised by some MMD members who said it was unconstitutional as the NEC had not sat to discuss the matter.

Labels: KATELE KALUMBA, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 1:14 PM