Mulyata training MMD cadres for Luena poll

Mulyata training MMD cadres for Luena poll
By Agness Changala
Mon 21 June 2010, 04:00 CAT

MMD Mongu Central member of parliament Joseph Mulyata has been accused of training cadres to fight the opposition during the Luena parliamentary by-election. But Mulyata denied training cadres to fight the opposition, saying the cadres he was training were meant to defeat the opposition in ballot papers.

MMD member Mark Mungungu who raised the allegation said yesterday that if Mulyata was chosen as campaign manager for Luena, there would be more violence in Luena than was experienced in Mufumbwe.

Mungungu insisted that Mulyata was training cadres to fight the opposition. He said the same cadres were unleashed on him at Mongu Airport during the funeral of one the local businessmen Mukumbuta who died two weeks ago.

“The cadres are meant to attack the opposition in Luena and I know them because they are the ones he sent to harass me when we were at the airport,” he said.

Mungungu said he was not afraid to speak out on issues that affected him because he was a free citizen.

And two other people, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said Mulyata was training cadres but were not sure what they were meant for.

The duo said it was true that the very cadres manhandled Mungungu over his money at the airport two weeks ago.

But Mulyata said he was training the youths to defeat the opposition at the ballot and not to beat them because MMD did not want violence in Luena. He said violence caused people not to vote freely; hence the need to discourage it.
Mulyata said the youths he was training were all over the area but he had asked them not to cause violence.

“I have told them, no violence, bola panshi; let’s just go and vote and as I speak to you, the situation is very good for us,” Mulyata said.

He, however, cautioned other opposition political parties not to provoke his men. Mulyata, who is also MMD Mongu district chairman, declared that his party would scoop the Luena seat. He said MMD had campaigned in all the wards and polling stations.

“People shall not vote for the opposition again. They are saying ‘we have suffered for the past 15 years the seat has been in the hands of the opposition’,” he said.

Mulyata said his party did not fear competition from others. He said come August, 6, 2010, MMD would be celebrating victory in Luena. He said those who voted for former Luena parliamentarian Charles Milupi would not do that again because they were disappointed with Milupi as he did not consult them before resigning to form his party, the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD).