‘Rupiah’s unpopularity caused Solwezi defeat’

‘Rupiah’s unpopularity caused Solwezi defeat’
By George Chellah
Wed 25 Nov. 2009, 04:01 CAT

SOME senior MMD officials have observed that President Rupiah Banda's growing unpopularity caused their humiliating defeat during Solwezi Central parliamentary by-election last week.

Well-placed sources at the MMD secretariat yesterday disclosed that the Solwezi Central by-election had confirmed what everybody in the party feared that President Banda's leadership has been rejected.

The source said it was now clear that President Banda's leadership was not appreciated in certain regions, especially where the late president Levy Mwanawasa enjoyed massive support.

“A deep reflection on the Solwezi Central loss has revealed that as a party we are in serious problems and people must not bury their heads in the sand. What is even more clear to everybody including those who are close to President Banda is that the old man has been rejected, especially in regions where the late president Levy Mwanawasa was enjoying massive support,” the source revealed.

“Even us here at the secretariat, we know that the President's popularity is in tatters in provinces like North-Western, Western, Central and Copperbelt rural. And yet these are the provinces which where the late Mwanawasa's strongholds. It's like people in these regions have rejected the old man. We know what we are talking about because we interact with these people.”

The source said the people who went for campaigns during the Solwezi Central by-election experienced this first hand rejection.

“We had a seasoned and experienced campaign team in Solwezi Central but you saw what happened. The blame squarely lies on the President. He is to blame because he is the one everybody in these areas including Solwezi is uncomfortable with. People just don't want anything to do with him,” the source said.

“For instance, in North-Western Province we know that the senior people in that area such as the traditional leadership except for a few opportunistic ones have a problem with President Banda. Some people in our campaign team were told outrightly that they have a problem supporting the MMD under President Banda's leadership.

“Many senior people they tried to interact with during that by-election were quite honest with them and they were sympathetic as well. They were telling our officials that they have no problem with them as individuals or the party in general but they have a serious problem with the boss (President Banda). They feel he is not just the right man for the job.”

The source said the MMD was facing similar problems in certain parts of Central Province as well.

“I don't even have to talk about Western Province because you know what is happening in that province. The MMD has lost ground in that region and we really need to do a lot of work if we have to get somewhere in 2011.

In Copperbelt rural, the situation is even worse because the Lambas have seriously rejected President Banda. Chiluba's acquittal and the manner in which the President and people like Mulongoti celebrated it has upset many people.

They are unhappy with President Banda because they feel he had betrayed one of their own…they also feel cheated because after Mwanawasa's death people were talking about the legacy but what has happened to the legacy now?” the source asked. “The traditional leadership in Copperbelt rural has generally not hidden their stance on President Banda to those they are close to within our party.

You can ask those who hail from there and they will tell you if they are honest that the traditional leadership in that area has categorically stated that they do not approve of President Banda's style of leadership. As a senior member myself, I am certain that all the Lamba members of parliament by now know the position of their chiefs and their constituencies.

“If you hear anything to the contrary then that member of parliament is just pretending or its just the usual opportunism that people have otherwise things are bad for the party in Lambaland. Some chiefs have even warned certain members of parliament who come from there that they will have an uphill battle to convince the electorates to vote for them in 2011 if they come with President Banda as their presidential candidate.”