Maravi

Pressure mounts on Chishala to withdraw

Pressure mounts on Chishala to withdraw
By Chibaula Silwamba and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Sun 09 Jan. 2011, 04:02 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda and Vernon Mwaanga have attempted to persuade Chilufya Chishala to withdraw his candidacy for the MMD Eastern Province chairmanship to pave way for the President’s preferred candidate, incumbent Kennedy Zulu to go unopposed. According to well-placed sources, President Banda wants to use Mwaanga to convince Chishala to withdraw.

“The President had dinner with Chishala at Luangwa House on Friday and he tried to make him withdraw from the race, but he refused because even the President has no proper reasons to make this man withdraw,” the sources said.

The sources said there were plans by some top officials from the party to freeze the election for the chairperson so that they start with vice-chairman and ensure that Zulu was maintained.

Another source said President Banda and Mwaanga wanted to use the tactics used in Western Province where Namakando Simasiku’s opponent Charles Mututwa was prevailed upon to withdraw at the last minute and offered a national executive committee position.

The sources said education minister and MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya failed to convince district chairmen that they rally behind Zulu.

“Dora actually met district chairmen at Murphy Undi Guest House on Friday night and told them that the President will have more problems if Chishala wins but the chairmen maintained that they want Chishala. They categorically told her that they have a lot of problems as chairmen because of Zulu who has failed them,” the source said.

The source said it was better for President Banda to withdraw Zulu from the race because in the event that Zulu loses, he was going to be embarrassed together with the chairman.

The sources also said President Banda met district chairmen yesterday at Luangwa Lodge although some candidates, who are vying for various positions, said the meeting might influence the voting pattern.

Zulu is expected to compete against Chishala, Michael Phiri and Jonathan Mazyopa.

And President Banda said he refuses that The Post twists the MMD membership.

Speaking when he saw Chishala, one of the two main contenders for the MMD Eastern Province chairmanship, on arrival at Chipata Airport on Friday, ahead of today’s party provincial conference, President Banda said the people in the province were united.

“I started a long time refusing that the newspaper twists us,” said President Banda.
President Banda’s statement was in reference to The Post’s lead story that he had directed parliamentarians from Eastern Province to back Zulu and de-campaigned Chishala, who is not an Easterner, on tribal grounds.

He said he wanted the will of the people to prevail.

President Banda had hugged Chishala and told him that they meet in the night.

President Banda said he thanked Zambia for having given him the Presidency.

And aspiring candidates for various positions in today’s Eastern Province MMD conference have said President Banda’s scheduled meeting with the delegates before the election might work against them.

In an interview on Wednesday, the candidates who opted to remain anonymous said it would be better for the President not to have a closed door meeting with the delegates because doing so might jeopardize those that were not the President’s preferred candidate.

“Our concern is that if the President meets the delegates before the elections, things may not go well because the President might influence the voting pattern,” one of the aspiring candidates said.

The candidates also said that there were plans by Lusaka Province chairperson William Banda to send his violent group to the Eastern Province conference.

“We are told that there are plans to ensure that the incumbent chairperson carries the day, but we don’t want violence here,” he said.

Asked whether it was true that he would be sent to campaign, William Banda said no one had assigned him to Chipata.

“I haven’t been sent to campaign to Chipata. Please don’t ask me things that I don’t know,” Banda said before hanging up. Banda is expected in Chipata for the party conference.

But incumbent provincial chairperson Zulu said some people were just fearing their shadows.

“This is crazy! The President is definitely going to meet the delegates but I don’t know why people are fearing their own shadows. What do they mean; the President should not meet the delegates? Even Michael Sata is going to meet his delegates before opening to the conference. I think as the going gets tough people are developing malaria,” Zulu said.

Labels: CHISHALA CHILUFYA, KENNEDY ZULU, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA, VERNON MWAANGA

posted by MrK @ 8:35 PM