PF invites expelled Mpombo, Magande

PF invites expelled Mpombo, Magande
By Salim Dawood
Mon 06 Sep. 2010, 14:00 CAT

OPPOSITION Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general, Wynter Kabimba has invited MMD expelled Parliamentarians George Mbombo and Ng’andu Magande to join the PF-UPND pact. And PF vice-president Dr. Guy Scott has observed that the MMD is behaving like a mad dog that has started biting off its own limbs.

Kabimba extended the invitation to the duo in an interview with Post On-line yesterday following their expulsions on Saturday. He said the expulsion of Mpombo and Magande, who were until their expulsions on Saturday Kafulafuta and Chilanga members of parliament respectively, clearly showed President Banda’s undemocratic style of managing the MMD.

“Firstly the expulsions are unfortunate, they clearly show the high handedness of Mr. Rupiah Banda’s administration as party President. Those expulsions also go against the very principal upon which the MMD was founded, that is freedom of expression,” Kabimba said.

“The difference between the MMD in 1990/ 1991 and UNIP was that UNIP was very high handed, UNIP did not accommodate divergent views and that is why the people rose to form the MMD and defeated UNIP.”

Kabimba said the numerous expulsions in the party have signaled the restoration of the UNIP culture in the form of MMD.

“The decision now starting with Katuba member of parliament Jonas Shakafuswa, the late Chibombamilimo, the decision culminating into the Magande and George Mpombo expulsion are exactly the restoration of the UNIP culture but in form of the MMD today,” he said.

He observed that Mpombo and Magande’s expulsions clearly showed that the MMD was on it ways out because it was behaving in the exact way a regime behaved when it was nearing its exit from government.

“Now what this clearly shows the people of Zambia, is that the MMD is on its way out, because it has become an intolerant regime not only to outsiders but even to its own members. And that is how a regime behaves when it is getting to the end of its life and I have no doubt in my mind myself that the end for the MMD has come to its end. So I think all those of us that are opposed to the existence of the MMD in the form that it is, of intolerance of divergent ideas, should come together and organise the people of Zambia to vote the MMD out in 2011,” he said.

He said Mpombo and Magande were free to participate in the affairs of the country through whichever political party they wanted.

“Well they are Zambian citizens, they are at liberty to continue participating in the affairs of this country using whatever political tools that they so wish to use and certainly if they want to come to the Pact they are more than welcome, am actually extending an open invitation to them to join the Pact,” he said.

And Dr Scott said his frequent statement that the MMD had broken down had now been proved through the expulsion of Mpombo and Magande.

“The MMD is behaving like a mad dog that starts to eat its own limbs by getting rid of its own members. We better get on with early elections and see how they will not have any vote,” said Dr. Scott.