(LUSAKATIMES) PF pressure group opposed

PF pressure group opposed
Saturday, June 6, 2009, 11:49

A PRESSURE group within the Patriotic Front ( PF) has opposed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between their party and the United Party for National Development (UPND).

The pressure group known as Committee of Patriotic Front (PF) founders says the MoU leaves much to be desired allegedly because PF president Michael Sata’s approach to politics is different from that of UPND president, Hakainde Hichilema. Committee representative, Samson Zulu said this at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.

“The pact which has been entered into between Mr Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema leaves much to be desired. For example, Mr Hichilema believes in intra party democracy while Mr Sata does not.

Mr Hichilema has allowed his MPs to attend the NCC while Mr Sata is expelling his for doing the same,” Mr Zulu said.

Mr Zulu said his members are not happy with Mr Sata’s failure to call for a party convention.

“We want to express our concern on the failure by the President of our party to call for a general conference,” he said.

Mr Zulu said PF has never held a convention since the party was formed.

“According to the PF constitution which we have not adopted, the general conference is supposed to meet once every five years. The party has not held a single general conference since it was registered almost nine years ago,” he said.

Mr Zulu accused Mr Sata of treating his party as his own property.

“Clearly, members of the press, this makes Mr Sata the absolute and unquestionable ruler of the PF. He does not need anybody to run the party. As PF stands now, it’s a personal property of Mr Sata to do with it as he pleases,” he said.

“According to the PF constitution which we have not adopted, the general conference is supposed to meet once every five years. The party has not held a single general conference since it was registered almost nine years ago,” he said.

Mr Zulu said pressure group members decided to hold the press conference to denounce what they called violence by senior PF leaders against other members within the party.

“We the Committee of Founders, a pressure group within the PF, are prompted to call this urgent press conference to condemn in the strongest terms the violence that senior members of the PF are perpetuating against other members of the party,” he said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]