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Join us, Munkombwe urges UPND leaders

COMMENT - Someone is getting nervous, but I don't it is the PF.

Join us, Munkombwe urges UPND leaders
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 02 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT

THERE is need for the MMD and UPND to negotiate and come into a pact, dep-uty minister in the Office of the Vice-President Daniel Munkombwe has said. In an interview yesterday, Munkombwe said it would be wrong for anyone in the MMD or UPND to oppose the formation of a pact or alliance between the two parties.

“I will definitely encourage the talk of an alliance between UPND and MMD. My reasons are that MMD is a party which has a future and that future could lead us back into government. I don’t see anybody opposing that view,” said Munkombwe, who was MMD Southern Province chairperson before then president Levy Mwanawasa appointed him provincial minister in 2008.

“It has always been my view, desire and wish that UPND as a solid party in the Southern Province, it should bring that part into the political party which is in government and UPND will be bargaining on a very strong basis.”

He said the UPND would be negotiating to come into the MMD on a very strong base.

He said if anybody in MMD or UPND did not see that sense then it was regrettable.

He said the mood was right for the two parties to come together.

“The mood for those of us who come from the Southern Province, those of us who have suffered political isolation would really like such a move like what pushed us into one party state. That is what happened,” said 78-year-old Munkombwe. “We were not able to defeat UNIP and the only logical way was if you can’t win them, join them and fight for your recognition as a leader within a political system that is ripe, a political system that is relevant.”

He said currently the MMD was relevant throughout the country.

He said it would be wrong for people in Southern Province to think that the people in other provinces would change their minds against the MMD.

“My calculation is that we, the people of Southern Province, are better off working with the MMD. That is my personal view. If there is anybody in MMD who says that ‘we don’t want to work with UPND’ I think that that view is wrong,” Munkombwe said. “If there is anybody in UPND who thinks that he can work with any other, other than the MMD, that is totally wrong also, in my view.”

Munkombwe said it had always been his position that the two parties work together.

“To others I may be irrelevant but to the silent many, I am very relevant,” said Munkombwe.

The MMD has confirmed that some UPND parliamentarians were engaged in negotiations with the ruling party with a view to have a pact between the two parties.

Labels: DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, MMD, UPND

posted by MrK @ 7:35 AM