Maravi

MMD is becoming a few people’s party – Chirwa

MMD is becoming a few people’s party – Chirwa
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 21 Oct. 2009, 13:57 CAT

MMD presidential aspirant Professor Clive Chirwa yesterday challenged President Rupiah Banda not to be scared of the convention if he is popular. In a telephone interview from England, Prof Chirwa said those who were asking other party members to resign from the party for agitating the holding of the convention should be the ones to go.

“Let me advise the President that if he feels that he can take this party forward, he shouldn't be scared because he can show himself at the convention that he's a true leader, by actually holding a convention. Because there at the convention, that's where people are going to put their ideas for them to see that the best person goes ahead,” Prof Chirwa said.

“If he's the best person, why is he scared? He shouldn't be scared.”

Prof Chirwa asked President Banda to stop sending people out of the party for obeying the constitution.

“If he feels that the constitution must be broken, then he is very ill-advised. Let the convention be held. It has to be held for everybody to go there and elect the president of the party because at the moment His Excellency is just acting as president of the party,” he said.

On President Banda's statement that he was stubborn and did not want others to tell him what to do, Prof Chirwa said President Banda had used the word wrongly, saying he could not dictate to others just because he was stubborn.

“Once you maintain the undemocratic nature of putting things forward when they haven't been agreed on a majority level, then that's not stubbornness. That is dictatorship,” he said.

On Mpombo's statement that the MMD national executive committee (NEC) could not be relied upon to decide on the convention because it was under siege from President Banda, Prof Chirwa said that was exactly the way things appeared at the moment.

He said the MMD was dying looking at the way it was going about doing things.
“We have to make sure that we revive this party, otherwise we are going for a biggest defeat in 2011. It is becoming a few people's party rather than a majority party, in the democratic nature,” said Prof Chirwa.

Labels: CLIVE CHIRWA, GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD, NEC, PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 4:31 PM