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MMD is drifting into a third term syndrome – Mpombo

MMD is drifting into a third term syndrome – Mpombo
Written by Patson Chilemba
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 4:11:51 AM

FORMER defence minister George Mpombo yesterday charged that MMD is slowly drifting into a third term syndrome because of President Rupiah Banda's personal ego.

Commenting on MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba's statement where he likened the tone of the debates over the party convention to the third term debate which almost led to the destruction of the party, Mpombo, who is Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said the party was drifting into a third term syndrome on the basis of President Banda's agenda to destroy the MMD by funding the postponement of the convention.

"Katele Kalumba is an intellectual dynamo. His grasp of issues is very, very amazing, amazingly intelligent. He is quite right, the party is drifting into a third term syndrome, the personal agenda of Mr Rupiah Banda is to destroy MMD. He has no love for the party. To him personal ego is more important. That is where it becomes dangerous because to him what matters is his ego. So he will want a situation where he will continue massaging his political ego," Mpombo said. "The party has got to reclaim its soul. The direction Mr Banda is trying to run this party is dangerous because, you see, he has got nothing to lose. He just joined the party three years ago, he has nothing to lose. In MMD we elect leaders, there is no coronation. But Mr Banda wanted to be coronated as a political empire for the party, which we find very detestable."

Mpombo said the MMD would never allow President Banda to hijack the party for his own personal whims.

He said leaders should be elected and no one should offer unsolicited leadership.

"If Mr Banda continues with his dictatorial tendencies, the party will experience some problems because we are determined at all cost not to allow Mr Banda to drag the party into politics of the 20th Century. 21st Century is about democracy. Mr Banda wants to take us back to the 20th Century of dictatorship and communism rule," Mpombo said. "...What is going to be experienced is that the party will be split, and it's going to be split until we ensure democracy."

Mpombo said the idea of having conventions was not just about electing presidents but to renew strength in various leadership positions.

He said President Banda could not be allowed to continue appointing people to leadership positions in the party.

Mpombo said things like the party's manifesto were launched at the convention.

"For instance, Mr Mulongoti is a finished product. He can't continue to be chairman of elections. He is totally irrelevant to the current situation," Mpombo said. "What has Mr Banda done to win the confidence that he can win MMD a presidential seat? If evil and dictatorial forces prevail upon the constitutional requirements of going to the congress [convention], we are determined to ensure that we hold a parallel congress at which leaders will be democratically elected."

In an interview on Saturday, Kalumba said the party risked being injured going by the mode of the debate over the convention in the MMD.

On acting MMD spokesperson Mike Mulongoti's statement that he took Mpombo to the MMD in 2006, Mpombo said Mulongoti was a political comedian.

"It is very, very clear or it is un-contestably true that when Mr Mulongoti was speaking on Radio Mano, he must have had a brain seizure where his mental capacity backed up because he resorted to falsehoods. Number one, he is talking of having got me to the party in 2006. He is not right because I joined the party myself around 1997. He should check the facts with Mr Michael Sata," Mpombo said. "...And when he talks about senior chief Chiwala, it is a pity I'm forced to talk about somebody who is no longer there. You know Mulongoti is a very evil little man. You see the man has had a very deadly agenda against me for no apparent reason."

Mpombo said in 2006, he came out first for the adoption process but Mulongoti tried hard to turn the tables by asking senior chief Chiwala's young brother to contest the Kafulafuta seat in place of Mpombo.

He said this was however rejected by late president Levy Mwanawasa and the MMD national executive committee (NEC).

"I came first and senior chief Chiwala's young brother was soundly defeated. Mulongoti had nothing to say, so the late Mwanawasa chased him away. And that is how evil that little man can be. You know, he is quite evil and he thrives on falsehoods. You know he is in fact one of the biggest character assassins in MMD," Mpombo said. "If such low calibre leadership can be one of the key advisors to President Rupiah Banda, then you could understand why the country is going in a wrong direction. I became MP for Kafulafuta in 2001, how could he have introduced me to MMD in 2006? I said he is a dangerous little small man who has dangerous personal vendettas against other people."

Mpombo said Mulongoti tried to stand as member of parliament in 2006 but was rejected completely by the chiefs in Lufwanyama.

"He is not even a name you can mention in Lufwanyama. People have no regard for him," said Mpombo.

Mulongoti recently said president Mwanawasa instructed him to go and beg with chief Chiwala so that Mpombo could be allowed to stand as a member of parliament.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, KATELE KALUMBA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 3:12 AM