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(TIMES) MMD targets grassroots

MMD targets grassroots
By Times Reporter

VICE-President George Kunda has said that the MMD will from now onwards treat local government by-elections with the same seriousness as the parliamentary polls.

Mr Kunda, who is also trustee in the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC), said the MMD would be paying more attention to the polls at ward level as a way of identifying the party with the grassroots and test the strength of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) Pact.

“From now onwards, we will pay the same attention to all by-elections, whether parliamentary or local government elections. We want to identify ourselves with the grassroots. We can’t be ministers or vice-presidents without you (the grassroots).We are also testing the strength of the Pact (UPND/PF Pact),” he said.

Mr Kunda, who made the remarks on Tuesday evening when he addressed MMD supporters who welcomed him at the Livingstone International Airport, said the party would continue to interact with people at the grassroots level to make it stronger.

The vice-president is in Livingstone to campaign for MMD candidate Mary Kaimba in today’s Kasiya Ward by-election.

Mr Kunda said the MMD had proved that it was stronger than the UPND/PF Pact during the Chitambo Parliamentary by-election in Serenje where it emerged victorious.

He said the MMD would equally scoop today’s Kasama Central Parliamentary by-election.

“In Kasama we are going to give them a good run for their money (the UPND/PF Pact). This so-called pact is very fragile. It can easily break,” he said.

He said the MMD was confident of retaining the Kasiya Ward seat, which became vacant after the former councillor Mary Mukwiza was appointed Kazungula District Commissioner.

He said Kasiya would remain the strong hold for the MMD and called on the members to remain united.

Speaking earlier, Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said the aim of the vice-president’s visit was to remind the people in the area about the values of unity.

Mr Munkombwe said the MMD was the only party that guaranteed unity in Zambia.
He said pacts or alliances had been experimented in many countries and had proved that they were not viable.

“Whatever alliance aimed at removing people from office does not work. The MMD will continue to exist. The pact has been resisting and it is just a pact of officials,” he said.

Mr Munkombwe said there might be some small differences within the party in the Southern Province but that did not mean that the party was not intact.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, GEORGE KUNDA, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MMD

posted by MrK @ 7:23 PM