Maravi

Mabenga gets Mulobezi seat party adoption

Mabenga gets Mulobezi seat party adoption
By George Chellah
Tue 21 June 2011, 04:01 CAT

THE MMD has picked national chairman Michael Mabenga, who was rejected during the primaries, as its candidate for the Mulobezi parliamentary seat.

Well-placed sources within the Western Province MMD provincial executive committee yesterday disclosed that the provincial officials grudgingly picked Mabenga during the selection process.

“We started the process in the minister’s conference hall and went up to 18:00 hours. But there was no power there so we went to the Country Lodge and conducted the interviews with all the aspiring candidates over the weekend,” the source said.

The source revealed that the provincial executive selected Mabenga out of sympathy.

“Despite him losing the primaries, we thought of doing him a favour by selecting him. We thought it won’t look nice if the national chairman is rejected by his own province,” the source said. “Otherwise, the entire provincial executive knows that he Mabenga is very unpopular in Mulobezi and he stands no chance of winning unless a miracle happens or the opposition mishandle their adoptions. But deep down our hearts we all know that the big man can’t win in Mulobezi.”

The source disclosed that finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has been selected to contest the Liuwa seat.

“Others we have picked include; Honourable Richard Mwapela (Kalabo), Honourable Christopher Kalila (Lukulu East), a Mr Mulonda (Lukulu West) and Honourable Ndalamei (Sikongo),” the source disclosed.

“We also picked Honourable Joseph Mulyata Mongu Central…you may wish to know that Honourable Mulyata’s opponent Mwilola Imakando got zero at all stages of the adoption process and we also picked Honourable Austin Liato to re-contest the Kaoma seat.”

The source said communications minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa was selected to re-contest the Nalikwanda seat.

“For Luena, we picked Mwangala Maopu, a Mr Mututwa (Senanga), a Mrs Akayombokwa (Nalolo) and Honourable Mubika Mubika (Sinjembela),” the source said. “For Mwandi Constituency, we picked Honourable Michael Kaingu to re-contest his seat, a Mr Kufwakwandi (Sesheke), Honourable Mwendoi Akakandelwa (Mangango) and a lady called Liato for Luampa.”

The source revealed that aspiring candidates for Lukulu East, Sikongo, Kaoma, Nalikwanda and Sinjembela were unopposed.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, MICHAEL MABENGA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 2:45 PM