Maravi

Findlay joins MMD’s 2011 candidate debate

Findlay joins MMD’s 2011 candidate debate
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, April 07, 2009 3:47:21 PM

RUPIAH Banda is not indispensible, suspended MMD Copperbelt Province chairman Terrence Findlay said yesterday. In an interview, Findlay said it was wrong for MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba to suggest that President Banda was the best and only capable candidate for the MMD.

He said the MMD was not bankrupt of people who could lead the party.

"There are many of us who are capable of taking over. There are people in MMD with brains. I said it before that this party did not belong to [late] president [Levy] Mwanawasa. It does not belong to any one individual but us members. President Rupiah Banda is not indispensable, just like president Mwanawasa was not indispensable," Findlay said.

"Rupiah Banda is not indispensable. I am one of the potential people to take over the leadership of the party. I don't intend to contest for the presidency but I am a potential person."

Findlay said it was not surprising that Tetamashimba was pushing for President Banda to be adopted because he did the same with president Mwanawasa.

He said Tetamashimba used to say that president Mwanawasa was the only best and capable candidate for the MMD before the demise of the late president.

Findlay said there was no need to even waste time debating because the party convention would have the final say on the candidate that MMD would adopt to contest the 2011 elections.

However, Findlay said President Banda's re-election would depend on his performance.

Asked on President Banda's performance since he took over office, Findlay said it was difficult to judge because the President had taken over leadership when the country was going through an economic crisis.

MMD national executive committee (NEC) member Walusiku Lisulo said the MMD was a democratic party, which allowed divergent views and that he would not waste time debating Tetamashimba's opinion.

And MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba stated that the party had learnt with dismay a statement by MMD presidential aspirant Professor Clive Chirwa over the electability of President Banda should he stand in 2011.

"Professor Chirwa is reported to have impeccable intellectual credentials as a specialist engineer in motor vehicle accidents. However, to date, the MMD has not known Professor Chirwa to possess prophetic powers of political prediction. His record on the Zambian political scene has yet to be established, just as his membership of the MMD," Kalumba stated.

"Katuba constituency, where he is reported to have registered, has not to date sent any records about his membership to the secretariat. Invariably, it is difficult to assess what special vantage point our good Professor, has to judge the electability of any person, including our party president, R.B. Banda in the event the party supported his candidature for 2011."

Kalumba stated that President Banda was duly elected by the Zambian people in 2008 and had a very challenging economic agenda that Zambians looked towards him to accomplish.

He stated that President Banda did not deserve the kind of untutored distractions as being proffered by persons like Prof Chirwa. Kalumba stated that well meaning Zambians should give chance to President Banda to concentrate on fixing the economy following the global financial crunch.

"No one has the capacity to predict either how MMD will decide at the convention or how Zambians will vote in 2011. Those who have ambitions of presidency should concentrate on demonstrating their leadership and political good sense now rather than degrading other leaders. That is bad politics. It is equally undemocratic," stated Kalumba.

On Sunday, Prof Chirwa said Tetamashimba was making a terrible mistake by suggesting that the ruling party and the country should continue with president Banda after 2011.

Prof Chirwa said the nation would lose the development momentum should President Banda be allowed to continue after 2011.

Recently, Kalumba and Tetamashimba differed over the latter's statement that President Banda was the best candidate and MMD would lose if they did not adopt him in 2011.

Tetamashimba had said should President Banda refuse to stand, party members like himself would push him to do so.

But in response, Kalumba said it was an insult to other party members for Tetamashimba to say that only President Banda was capable of contesting the presidency.

Labels: CLIVE CHIRWA, ELECTIONS, KATELE KALUMBA, MMD, TERRENCE FINDLAY

posted by MrK @ 2:43 PM