Maravi

MMD will be dead and buried in 2011 polls under Rupiah - Prof Chirwa

MMD will be dead and buried in 2011 polls under Rupiah - Prof Chirwa
Written by Lambwe Kachali

MMD is dead and buried at the next election unless we choose the leader with vision beyond the current plans, 2011 MMD presidential aspiring candidate Professor Clive Chirwa has said. And Prof Chirwa has demanded that MMD spokesperson Benny Tetamashimba be expelled from the party for gross misconduct.

Commenting on the happenings in MMD and the government at large, Prof Chirwa said instead of concentrating on resolving the problems Zambians were facing, some power hungry individuals were busy pushing President Banda to contest in 2011.

Prof Chirwa said Zambia would be paralysed if President Banda was not careful in the way he handled problems the country was facing.

"Just look around us, there is no single day when MMD has had good news. It is either corruption, job losses, strikes, incompetence or mismanagement and abuse of office that hits the headlines. His Excellency has done some good jobs but all has been muffled by scandals," Prof Chirwa said.

"Our party so far since the last presidential by-elections has acted as if it is in office but not in power. Let us return to some good news. Otherwise the MMD is dead and buried at the next election unless we choose a leader with vision beyond the current plans. Zambians cannot be fooled any longer and the ballot boxes will not have video imaging to show who voted and if we are not careful, many will vote for the opposition."

On the decision by MMD national executive committee [NEC] to endorse President Banda as sole candidate for 2011, Professor Chirwa described it as a joke.

"This is a joke, right? This has gone beyond boot-licking and I am disgusted by why all the members of the NEC did not rise up to this nonsense. This is very unconstitutional and I want the minutes to be revoked and annulled because they have been accepted on false pretence, to be blunt, on deception," Prof Chirwa said.

"I will be submitting my complaint letter on this and on the fact that such an important party meeting was held at the State House on public money. No wonder nobody spoke because they had a noose around their necks as soon as they arrived at State House."

Prof Chirwa however said he was not surprised by President Banda's endorsement.

"I have known this for months; especially when it was clear from the body language this January that His Excellency was not just there up to 2011. I am not power hungry and I am doing extremely well where I am now. The problem I have is my conscience telling me that you may be doing well, what about the millions of Zambians who are so poor that it will take another 100 years to give them a descent life if we maintain the status quo," he said. "So far, we are doing well but not well enough to warrant another term in office after 2011."

He said indeed, if NEC adopted President Banda under Article 10 of the MMD constitution as claimed by Tetamashimba, then he [Prof Chirwa] too qualified even more to stand at the forthcoming party Convention.

"To cut the long story short I meet all the 12 criteria under Article 10 including 10(J)," he said.

Prof Chirwa said the decision by NEC to endorse President Banda as 2011 sole candidate was instigated by Tetamashimba.

"And with Mr Benny Tetamashimba, he should be expelled from the party under Article 5.1b and Article 5.3 of the MMD constitution for gross misconduct and for misleading His Excellency the President Mr Rupiah Banda in thinking that he is home and dry. Who is Tetamashimba? We have not asked this question before and now time has come. He is No. 22 on the party hierarchy list and he does not comprise one of the nine top positions with major influence to the party. He has come into MMD and hijacked the blue shirt. We will never miss him if he is gone. He cannot get away with this anymore and expulsion is the only answer and I will see to it that it happens in the MMD soon and the court of law if not implemented," Prof Chirwa said.

"No person has the power to exclude a noble member of our party from attending the convention. The whole exercise is meant for party members. So please until then our democratic rights are paramount and should be followed with dignity and to that note, I Professor Clive Mulubwa Kondwani Chirwa do declare that I will be standing for MMD presidency and Republican presidency based on the constitutions of our party and country."

Prof Chirwa also said it was premature for President Banda to sideline other potential presidential candidates from attending the convention.

He advised President Banda not to contest the presidency, saying there was still life after politics.

"My good advice, which I have been giving to my party through my writings since I cannot get to His Excellency, is that he should think deep and hard if the decision he has taken is in his own interest let alone that of Zambians. There is life after politics and at that age, I would urge my distant grand-uncle, as people tell me but I am not sure, to galvanise his effort and knowledge with wisdom of a state leader. Let him think as to why he is being unceremoniously paraded by those two individuals who claim to be speaking for the entire MMD membership," Prof Chirwa said.

"During the last 2008 presidential by-elections, I supported him and gave him a green light to stand. I even campaigned for him from the head office in Lusaka and in the country since at that time we needed continuity in a nation that was mourning. Unfortunately this has now transpired to have been a mistake on my part. I trusted him so much that I believed in his admirable words which were relayed to me by my advisor that he will stand only up to 2011. I hope this dream I am in will end in a few days when His Excellency will stand up to those two bullies who are tying him up without realising what will happen to another five years of uncertainty for himself and for the Zambian people whom he wants to serve so dearly."

He said President Banda was not sure whether he was doing the right thing or not.

"Every time His Excellency has been asked to take up the candidature first as acting president and now for the party president, he has not been sure if he is doing the right thing. Read his answers from Livingstone and after the NEC made the decision, you will ascertain simply by assessing what he said and I quote "If you people want me to stand to go ahead, "Who am I to say no?" This shows that my "Mbuya" is being pushed in the direction he doesn't want to go," Prof Chirwa observed."

He also said he could not figure out anything discernible from the communiquŽ read by Tetamashimba which stated that NEC had endorsed President Banda's candidature for the party's presidency.

He argued that NEC has no power based on MMD constitution to float a candidate and for that matter, a sole candidate.

"I ask myself, has His honourable Tetamashimba ever read the MMD constitution? If he has, like I have done on many occasions, he will find that Article 10(J) does not give the power to NEC members to choose and present a sole candidate for the party president. The Article 10(J) on page 10 of the constitution states and I quote "to be sincere, honest and truthful" as referred to obligations of every member. This is not the first time His Honourable Tetamashimba has been at all cost trying to stop me from contesting the MMD presidency by quoting wrong information from the MMD constitution. The first time he referred to the constitution was during the Levy Mwanawasa days when he uttered wrong details from an Article he believed existed. Now he is exposing His Excellency the President Mr Rupiah Banda to a very serious none democratic disgrace.

Honourable Tetamashimba's actions together with some of those in the NEC who drafted the communiquŽ should have known better as custodians of our party that every word quoted from MMD rule book is gospel. This incompetence has ruined our reputation as a credible leading party and we look foolish to the world outside that we have to lie in order to get what we want. Very sad story that now portrays His Excellency in the eyes of Zambians and our donors to be there for something else and not for the benefit of the suffering citizens. In the court of law this contempt of court and it is a very serious case and cannot be tolerated," Prof Chirwa said.

"That is why I am calling for His honourable member for Solwezi central Mr Benny Tetamashimba to be expelled from the party and sacked from his ministerial position. If he thinks he can get away with it, this time he has made a grave mistake that warrants prison for lying in a forum that runs our party and country.

He has made His Excellency the President believe with no constitutional backing that he is the sole candidate for the MMD party. This is deception that warrantees a kick in the backside and out of the party. The MMD constitution itself calls for the presidential candidate to lodge his/her nomination papers to the returning officer at the convention (Article 38(2)). Indeed Articles 38, 39, 40 and 41 have no description of any kind whatsoever that allows the NEC to nominate a candidate for MMD presidency. The only body that can do that is the convention. If His Excellency wants to run for another term, he should, like all of us lodge his papers to the appointed returning officer 24 hours before the ballots are cast at the convention."

Prof Chirwa said he felt sorry for some hard working uncorrupted members of parliament whom he said would lose most when power is passed on to the opposition if the status quo was put in stone.

"These elected MPs have not even been consulted of the decision by NEC which is full of none elected members of parliament. The power I believe should lie with MPs and this is why I will be presenting my vision to them and put up a case for me to lead our party according to our constitution and the existing law of Zambia," he said.

He further said he was not shaken by NEC's decision and vowed to challenge President Banda at the convention for the party's top most position.

"Therefore, it is premature for His Excellency to start excluding people from contesting, because the MMD constitution calls for a democratic election of its leaders. In fact that is why the President himself opened the way for others to contest. Under the constitution I will still go ahead and contest according to my rights as a member of the MMD. Until then I reserve the right to call myself a presidential candidate for the MMD and later Republican president under Articles 37 and 39," said Prof Chirwa.

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, CLIVE CHIRWA, ELECTIONS, MMD

posted by MrK @ 1:04 PM