Maravi

Chipata MMD cadres complain over restrictions to Rupiah

Chipata MMD cadres complain over restrictions to Rupiah
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata

MMD cadres in Chipata have complained over the restrictions that were allegedly sanctioned by the Eastern Province administration office in welcoming President Rupiah Banda during his private trip to the district last Wednesday.

But Eastern Province permanent secretary Eularia Syamujaye said the provincial administration did not restrict anyone who wished to welcome President Banda.

In an interview on Saturday, Chipata district MMD secretary Samuel Lugomo-Phiri said the cadres want to be welcoming President Banda in large numbers whenever he came to the district whether on private or official trips.

“Each time he is coming here, whether its private or official, we very much want to welcome him to show that this is his home. He comes from here and he has dependable people here who should be his backbone, not to be given restrictions. That way, we are not going to work well,” Phiri said.

He said welcoming the President could not be restricted to only government officers but the political leadership as well.

Phiri said the party members complained to Eastern Province minister Isaac Banda over the restrictions in the number of party officials to welcome President Banda at the airport, adding that the minister later convened a meeting with the cadres.

“The minister called us in the evening (on Wednesday) at his officeÖwe convened a meeting where the PS (Syamujaye) was called in and was part of the meeting. Of course we aired our grievances as a party to say if this kind of an attitude continues, this will make our work as politicians very difficult, elections are just around the corner. You know in 2011 we are having presidential and general elections and if this attitude of barring political leaders in welcoming the head of state or ministers at certain fora, it will send a very wrong signal to the public as though the President doesn’t come from Chipata,” aid Phiri.

But Syamujaye said there were no restrictions that were sanctioned by the provincial administration over the welcoming of President Banda.

“We did not and we do not restrict any person in welcoming the President. All what was there was a caution to say that there should be no ululating and dancing because as you know, the coming of the President coincided with the coming of the body of the wife of Paramount Chief Mpezeni and this came from their provincial leadership not us because we have no line of communication with cadres. So whoever complained to you was supposed to do so to me or the provincial minister,” said Syamujaye.

Labels: CADRES, CHIPATA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 5:02 AM