Maravi

‘Rupiah’s outright support for William Banda will cost MMD unity’

‘Rupiah’s outright support for William Banda will cost MMD unity’
By George Chellah
Tue 04 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda wants William Banda to be retained as Lusaka Province MMD chairperson despite the violence he ignited, which resulted in the cancellation of the provincial conference recently.

Well-placed sources within the MMD Lusaka Province executive committee disclosed that President Banda was solidly behind Banda’s candidature for the provincial chairmanship.

“There are instructions, which have been issued that William Banda must get the chairmanship at the provincial conference. The President is in the forefront of pushing this agenda,” the sources said.

“We are told that the President feels indebted to William and Kennedy Zulu Eastern Province MMD chairman that’s why he wants them to be retained despite them being unpopular amongst the general party membership in the two respective provinces.”

The sources said President Banda’s outright support for the duo would cost the party unity among its members ahead of the 2011 elections.

“We don’t know where this indebtedness is coming from. We can’t figure out what these two have done for the President to insist on keeping them at all cost despite them being rejected by the party membership,” the sources said.

“You can see already that there is a scheme to launder William Banda among the party membership, that’s why Vice-President George Kunda recently went with him on his Copperbelt tour. The President thinks that if he pushes his way on William Banda, people will finally accept his preferred candidate and yet the truth of the matter is that most people in the party including ministers and other senior officials don’t want William Banda to lead the party in Lusaka.”

The sources wondered why President Banda was insisting on having Banda as provincial chairperson despite his violent conduct.

The sources said there were attempts to convince the strongest contender, Nolobe Kuliye, to step aside just to ensure that Banda retains the provincial chairmanship.

“What sort of democracy is this? It seems William is untouchable. No wonder he is rewarded for his dishonourable conduct each time he misbehaves. After the recent confusion he caused at the party secretariat, which resulted in the President cancelling the provincial conference in Lusaka, who would have thought the President would still be pushing for him to be elected provincial chairperson?” the sources asked.

“The same applies to Kennedy Zulu in Eastern Province. The guy has been rejected by the membership and yet the President is insisting that he should be retained just because he has a close relationship with him. This selective approach to party matters will just weaken us ahead of next year’s elections because already in Eastern Province people are saying that if the President insists on having Kennedy, he Kennedy Zulu will campaign alone in 2011.”

President Banda recently postponed the MMD Lusaka provincial conference after William Banda’s supporters beat up his challenger’s supporters during accreditation at the MMD secretariat in Lusaka.

Incumbent Kennedy Zulu is facing serious challenge from local businessman Chilufya Chishala, who currently had the backing of about seven districts with Chipata being the only exception.

Labels: MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA

posted by MrK @ 9:08 AM