Maravi

MMD NEC asks Rupiah to hang on

MMD NEC asks Rupiah to hang on
By Bright Mukwasa
Sat 01 Oct. 2011, 08:30 CAT

FORMER Republican president Rupiah Banda is still president of MMD until the next convention, says MMD vice national chairman Kabinga Pande. In an interview, Pande said Banda was convinced to stay on at the helm of the party during the just-ended NEC meeting following his hint to retire from active politics.

"The constitution of the MMD has a five-year mandate until the next convention. Of course, he Banda did hint that he will go into retirement but it's not now. It must be gradual, it must be proper," Pande said.

"He cannot just abandon the party now. We have asked him as NEC to
remain so that he leaves the party at a ‘certain level' when things
are where we feel we can release him. He's still the party president.
He has not left the party."

And Pande has appealed to President Michael Sata to stop the violence
allegedly being perpetrated by Patriotic Front members against members
of the former ruling party MMD in some parts of the country.
"We accepted the defeat magnanimously and because of that, we should
continue at that level growing our democracy. So the violence that we
are witnessing is really unZambian," he said.

"We should not really go to that extent; we're one people."
During a NEC meeting held at Golfview Hotel in Lusaka, senior party
members asked former president Banda to state when he would leave
after his indication that he would resign from active politics.

Labels: MMD, NEC, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 3:03 PM