Maravi

Muteteka warns MMD youths over ‘violent’ resolutions

Muteteka warns MMD youths over ‘violent’ resolutions
By Kombe Chimpinde
Thu 28 July 2011, 13:59 CAT

SOME of the campaign resolutions suggested by Lusaka youths border on national security, says Moses Muteteka who is the MMD national youth chairman. And former Patriotic Front national youth secretary Eric Chanda says President Rupiah Banda should tame the MMD youths who have resolved to respond with violence once provoked.

Muteteka, in an interview, said the resolutions made by Lusaka youths led by Lusaka Province youth chairman Chris Chalwe were not approved and are not final.

“I am summoning Chris Chalwe because the society does not agree with some of the resolutions as they border on national security. We have been advocating for no-violence campaigns and issue-based campaigns so we realise that we must not embrace any form of provocation,” Muteteka said.
He said as chairman of the MMD’s youth wing, he would not tolerate any behaviour that is likely to incite violence.

¨Any suggestions that have been made by the youths, I appeal to the public not to take them serious. I am getting to the youth and they have to explain how such resolutions were made,” he said.

Muteteke also acknowledged responsibility of the two MMD cadres that were arrested for assaulting Muvi TV journalists, warning cadres of stern action if found wanting.

The MMD youths in Lusaka this week came up with 14 resolutions, calling them the “rules of engagement in this year’s campaigns”, where they resolved, among other things, that they be allowed to reciprocate violence if provoked by the opposition.

Chalwe threatened that any media organisation that oversteps its role in the electoral process would be met with unspecified action from his party’s youth brigade.

And Chanda said from the 14 resolutions of the MMD youths, it was clear that the youths were not interested in having a peaceful and fair election, but only in causing anarchy in the country.

“I want to challenge President Rupiah Banda to tame these youths like Chris Chalwe who want to bring anarchy in the country because this country is not meant for violence. It is not meant for civil strife, we want peace and tranquility to prevail in the country. If president Rupiah Banda cannot do this, I think he has to handle the outcome of the violent acts of these youths,” Chanda said.

He said the violent conduct of the youths was a true reflection of the MMD as a party.

“I think this violence is the true picture of the MMD and their election campaign strategy. It gives the people of Zambia an indication of what these people are planning to do. For instance, in their 14 points, they have threatened the media organisations and we know it is not the public media because they are in good books with them. We know they are threatening the private media,” Chanda said.

He said Patriotic Front youths had condemned in the strongest terms the violent behaviour of the MMD youths.

“Now we want to tell them that if they are peace-loving Zambians, they should do away with these threats over the media. Let them do away with these threats of violence because it is not the opposition political parties that are threatening violence, but it’s the ruling party. We want these coming elections to be peaceful for the sake of the peace-loving Zambians who want to see this country move forward,” said Chanda.

Labels: CHRIS CHALWE, MMD, MMD YOUTH LEAGUE, MOSES MUTETEKA, POLITICAL VIOLENCE

posted by MrK @ 2:06 PM