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W/Province MMD threaten to discipline Lungwangwa, Kaingu

W/Province MMD threaten to discipline Lungwangwa, Kaingu
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Monday, October 05, 2009 8:49:21 PM

THE MMD provincial executive committee (PEC) in Western Province has threatened to discipline communications minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa and community development minister Michael Kaingu for opposing the province's resolve that the party national convention proceeds. Western Province MMD youth chairman Musangu Njamba said the province consulted extensively before coming up with the position not to sign a petition to defer the ruling party convention.

Njamba said in an interview last Friday that the party in the province was therefore surprised with assertions by Prof Lungwangwa and Kaingu that they were not among the Western parliamentarians that had opposed the deferment of the national convention.

"We are surprised at the remarks by Kaingu and Lungwangwa that they were not part of the parliamentarians who met," Njamba said. "What we know is that Kaingu is the provincial treasurer for MMD Western Province and the provincial executive committee on Thursday last week met before that statement from the chairman."

Njamba said 15 PEC members out of the 24 met in Mongu to discuss the petition on the postponement of the ruling party convention.

"We were 15 plus the chairman we were 16 and we issued that statement of the provincial executive committee after consulting all our districts and constituencies," he said. "The statement that the chairman [Simasiku Namakando] gave was out of the same meeting...then we agreed and issued the statement that we were distancing ourselves from those people who are calling for the postponement of the convention."

Njamba said Western Province was against the postponement of the national convention because the majority of the ruling party's national executive committee (NEC) was nominated.

"We see the postponement will be like third term where FDD was formed, so we do not want the same thing to happen," he said. "Those other provinces that are saying they are endorsing Rupiah Banda that is what they said to Mwanawasa and Chiluba. When they went to the convention they did not vote for them."

On Kaingu and Prof Lungwangwa's action to distance themselves from the provincial resolve, Njamba challenged the two ministers to take time and go to their constituencies and see if they would come back with a single signature on the petition to postpone the party convention.

"I think even the President should realise that such kind of leaders are very dangerous because as a provincial executive committee we are trying to tell the President the truth and they are trying to cheat him just to protect their positions," he said. "Kaingu was not there but he is supposed to follow what we are saying because he is a part of the provincial executive committee. They are cowards...the general feeling is that if these people want to go their way we are going to discipline them."

Njamba said Kaingu and Prof Lungwangwa should always remember that they were in their positions because of the party in the province.

"We do not want to make parallel structures in Western Province. When they came, they found the party united," he said. "They have to respect us if we issue a statement. We are not issuing a statement to hurt them. We are issuing a statement for the whole province because we have consulted."

Njamba also accused Mulobezi member of parliament Michael Mabenga and acting party spokesperson Mike Mulongoti of causing confusion within the ruling party.

Labels: MICHAEL KAINGU, MMD, WESTERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 7:50 PM