Maravi

Western MMD MPs reject plans to postpone convention

Western MMD MPs reject plans to postpone convention
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Thursday, October 01, 2009 1:05:21 AM

SOME MMD parliamentarians from Western Province have rejected directives from the national leadership asking them to urge their constituents to sign a petition to postpone the MMD national convention.

According to highly-placed sources within the party, almost all the parliamentarians from Western Province met at Parliament building during tea break on Tuesday afternoon, to discuss the directive that was communicated to them through their provincial secretary Sikwibele Mwapela.

The sources said only Mwapela, who is Kalabo Central member of parliament, and Mongu Central’s Joseph Mulyata went to their constituencies to ask the people to sign the petition.

“Actually, Mulyata was almost manhandled in Mongu when he went to ask them to sign,” the sources said. “Yesterday [Tuesday] we met as members of parliament from Western Province. We were asked to go and see our people so that they can sign. Our people have refused to sign the petition. They want the convention. They are saying this is their time when they eat as cadres. So why should someone today make short-cuts?”

The source said if there was no money to hold the convention, the money could be sourced from the donors.

“As members of parliament from Western Province we respect the will of the people. We are in Parliament because of the people of Western Province and if they say no, we have to respect that,” the source said. “These are the same people who brought [President] Banda to State House.”

The sources said MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga, who is one of the parliamentarians from the province, was not among the parliamentarians who met at Parliament building because he was out of the country.

The sources said their sentiments were in tune with the general feeling of the party membership in Western Province.

“The Western Province is on fire,” the source disclosed. “People are refusing, who are we to force the people?”

The sources said they were agreeable with Simasiku Namakando’s position that the convention should not be postponed.

“This is the general feeling of the people of Western Province. Namakando is our provincial chairman. He has got information from the people. That is what the people said, who are we to force them? Otherwise if we force the people, then Banda will lose elections. No member of parliament will come from the Western Province,” the source said. “So let us not force matters. Let us follow the will of the people.”

The sources said should the MMD national leadership decide to take disciplinary action against Namakando over the position he had taken on the convention, that would be the end of MMD in the province.

The sources said President Banda, national chairman Mabenga and acting spokesperson Mike Mulongoti should instead be disciplined for violating the party constitution.

The sources said the three leaders were aware that should they go to the convention that would be the end of them.

The sources said the discontent among the MMD members in the province had become palpable and some of the MMD parliamentarians from the province were entertaining ideas not to re-contest their seats at the next general elections.

“He promised to give us a vice-president from Western Province but up to now we have not seen anything,” the source complained. “Then we have the Mongu-Kalabo road project. It is just promises all the time. There is the Shang'ombo Hospital project; up to now since 2004 nothing is happening.”

And Namakando said the province would not be shaken out of the stance it had taken against the calls to defer the party’s national convention.

Namakando said he had the support of the membership on the matter.

Namakando told The Post on Monday that Western Province would not be part of the people that wanted to tear the ruling party constitution to pieces by postponing the national convention.

Efforts to get a comment from MMD spokesperson Mike Mulongoti proved futile by press time.

Labels: MMD, SIKWIBELE MWAPELA, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 12:06 AM