Maravi

2011 elections worry Rupiah

2011 elections worry Rupiah
By George Chellah
Wed 01 Dec. 2010, 13:59 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda says the MMD risks being kicked out of power next year if members of parliament don't go flat out to campaign. And President Banda urges unpopular MMD members of parliament to pave way for popular candidates ahead of next year’s elections.

Well-placed sources revealed yesterday that President Banda advised MMD parliamentarians during a caucus at State House on Monday to take advantage of Parliament's adjournment and mobilise the party in their constituencies because the opposition was busy campaigning.

"The President stressed the need for us to go out and organise the party or else we will be kicked out of government if we don't organise and campaign for the party," the source said, adding that President Banda gave K10 million to each member of parliament for party mobilisation.

The source said the President reminded members of parliament who wanted to purchase chitenge materials to source them from a named shop in Lusaka's Kamwala trading area.

The source said President Banda told the parliamentarians that government had done enough on the development front and now was time for them to do the work.

The source said President Banda urged members of parliament to be humble so that voters could vote the MMD back in power. The source said the President advised members of parliament who were unpopular in their areas to indicate so that the party could identify other members in good time to contest the seats.

The source said President Banda informed the caucus that party provincial conferences and the national convention would be held before elections.

And the source said President Banda advised the MMD leadership in Western Province stop engaging in tribal politics.

"In fact, his actual words were, 'me I am Chewa and Chembe Nyangu is Nsenga but should we be saying this one is Nsenga or Chewa?' The President complained that there was too much tribalism in the MMD in Western Province," the source said.

The source disclosed that Copperbelt provincial minister Mwansa Mbulakulima protested that there were people within the MMD who did not want to accommodate PF rebel members of parliament.

"Mbulakulima raised it and the President asked the meeting what the party should do. And the meeting's feeling was that if the rebels are strong on the ground, they should be accommodated but if they are not why should they be accommodated because we risk losing the elections," said the source.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MWANSA MBULAKULIMA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:17 PM