Maravi

Katele urges 2011 MMD presidential aspirants to declare intentions publicly

Katele urges 2011 MMD presidential aspirants to declare intentions publicly
Written by Patson Chilemba
Friday, May 22, 2009 1:59:19 PM

MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba yesterday urged other party presidential hopefuls who have been approaching him to also declare their intentions publicly.

Commenting on President Rupiah Banda's U-turn that he was happy with calls for him to stand in 2011 contrary to his earlier statement last year that he would only rule for three years, Kalumba welcomed the President's decision, saying other aspirants should follow suit by making their intentions public.

"I welcome his change of mind as national secretary and he has made that intention publicly. And since he has done that, others who were discouraged to make their positions public can now do so. I have had audience with President Rupiah Banda who said he had no problem with people competing," he said.

Asked on the fears that the President had so much power which he could use to disadvantage others from challenging him at the party convention, Kalumba said it was not always that a party president would have his way because the people were the final arbiters of the electoral process.

"As national secretary I will be able to uphold what the constitution says, to have a fair ground. I am often criticised when I don't make my declaration of the preferred candidate. I am not supposed to do that as national secretary, because when I do that how are others going to come to me?" Kalumba asked.

On Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata's statement that President Banda had taught Kalumba and other MMD presidential hopefuls who took him for his word a lesson, Kalumba said no one had the right to speak about other people's intentions unless they had made those intentions public.

He said he did not want his name to be abused because he had never announced that he was a presidential aspirant.

"As far as I'm concerned, the royal family has asked me to rethink my position," said Kalumba, without elaborating.

Addressing MMD cadres and civil servants who welcomed him at Livingstone International Airport on Tuesday, President Banda said he was happy with the MMD in Southern Province for endorsing him as the candidate for the party in 2011 presidential elections.

However, when the MMD adopted him as its presidential candidate in last year's elections, President Banda said he would only govern for three years.

Labels: ELECTIONS, KATELE KALUMBA, MMD, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 1:02 PM