Maravi

MMD is on a looting mission – Mpombo

COMMENT - This is why a nationalist ideology is so important. Without it, all you have left are politicians who enter politics to enrich themselves.

MMD is on a looting mission – Mpombo
By George Chellah
Sat 30 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT

GEORGE Mpombo yesterday said the current squabbles over campaign funds within the MMD confirm that the party under President Rupiah Banda's leadership is on a looting mission. And Mpombo has said the recent by-election results have confirmed that it is game over for Rupiah Banda’s presidency in the country.

Commenting on the differences that have emerged within the MMD over the Chilanga parliamentary by-election loss, Mpombo, who is also Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament, said it was clear that plunder is what was currently driving the MMD agenda.

“These are people who have realised that they are heading for serious political troubles, so everybody is trying to secure his future. It's purely a looting agenda and people are so desperate for survival beyond 2011,” Mpombo said.

“These squabbles or fights just confirm that the party under Mr Banda's leadership is on a looting mission. It’s an indication that the MMD is on a looting mission that's why they are in a hurry to remove Article 37 from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act.”

He described the current rating of the MMD as being very low.

“There is a lot of economic plundering going on. As you have seen even people that were economic cripples and were chased out of Lusaka by court bailiffs, they were driven out of Lusaka to their villages, today they have amassed so much wealth,” Mpombo said.

“They have amassed wealth in a short space of time. They realise that it's just a couple of months and there will be a new government in place no wonder they are fighting over campaign funds.”

And Mpombo has said the recent by-election results in Mpulungu and Chilanga were a watershed referendum on President Banda's leadership and the future of the MMD as a party.

“The recent results show a rebuff of Mr Banda's lackadaisical and clumsy leadership. And also a rejection of his political plagiarism of the late Mwanawasa's projects as his own initiative,” Mpombo said. “The MMD has been hit by a debilitating and creeping bout of political crunch which has sent the party into a deep, irretrievable political recession.”

He said it was definitely game over for President Banda.

“The aftermath of the by-elections both in Mpulungu and Chilanga leaves the MMD in a situation like a passenger plane which has developed dangerously low levels of cabin pressure and is lurching from side to side while losing all forms of contact with the control tower and flying below the radar and heading for total crash-landing,” Mpombo said.

“For instance, in Mpulungu the MMD was saved by a whisker. If people are honest with themselves, there should even be no celebrations considering the strong and formidable challenge that PF posed because PF didn't even have proper structures on the ground.

“The Mpulungu result is clearly a death knell for MMD in that part of the Northern Province. This is a well-known fact considering that in 2006 when the late Lameck Chibombamilimo contested, the MMD beat PF by over 6,000 votes. Therefore, come next year MMD will not be a factor in Mpulungu because it's already neutralised in that area.”

He said the previous results have indicated that the MMD support in that region has been dwindling.

“The MMD is on its way out and people should just accept it and not comfort themselves. There is nothing to celebrate because the MMD is clearly on its way to Damascus,” Mpombo said.

“The MMD's Mpulungu result is a source of great shame and it does not inspire the membership. The narrow margins are the surest indicators that the MMD has lost grip because of Mr Banda's poor leadership. And a leader must improve on the fortunes of its leadership.”

On Thursday, well-placed sources within the MMD revealed that the mismanagement of funds that were meant for campaigns contributed to the loss in Chilanga.

And education deputy minister Chrispine Musosha confirmed that some MMD members steal money meant for by-elections campaigns at the expense of delivering victory for the party.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, GEORGE MPOMBO, MMD

posted by MrK @ 4:18 PM