Maravi

MMD NEC counsels Dora on attacking colleagues

MMD NEC counsels Dora on attacking colleagues
By Christopher Miti
Mon 26 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT

MMD national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe says the national executive committee (NEC) has counselled party spokesperson Dora Siliya against attacking her colleagues in the press. And Maj Kachingwe urged MMD members to be loyal to the government of the day. Meanwhile, MMD Kapata ward councillor Noah Banda shocked party members by using the 'Donchi Kubeba' song as his mobile phone caller caller tune.

Responding to concerns by some district chairpersons at the provincial card renewal exercise on Saturday over Siliya's recent attacks on Felix Mutati, one of the presidential aspirants, that his globe trotting contributed to MMD's loss last year, Maj Kachingwe said.

NEC had counselled senior party members against attacking each other in the press.

"We have counselled her (Siliya), even the other day we had a meeting, we have counselled every NEC member to stop talking about each other in the press. The press comes to me every day; do you hear me talking about individuals? Why? Because I carry the party with me. Immediately I talk about something, it's a party attacking that person and it will divide the party," Maj Kachingwe said.

"When you decide to work within the party, you have decided to work with your friends and there are rules and regulations that you must follow, so we have counselled everybody not to talk... but the (presidential) candidates have been properly counselled and before they come to provinces, they pass through the secretariat and we tell them 'no disparaging remarks against each other, no disparaging remarks against the party', and we shall come heavily on anyone who starts to show those signs (of attacking fellow party members)."

He said MMD had very mature presidential candidates who were currently going around the country.

Maj Kachingwe said the product of the convention that the party would have this year must be able to take the party back into government.

He urged party members not to go tribal or for money when choosing the
presidential candidate at the convention, which he said would be held soon.

On MMD's complaints over the bias of the police, Maj Kachingwe said police had overstepped their bounds and urged them to remain within bounds.

He said the job of the police was to protect everyone because security was for all Zambians and not only those from the ruling party.

And Maj Kachingwe urged party members to be loyal to the governing government but that they should speak out when things went wrong.

He said the MMD wanted the PF to succeed in governing the country and that they were also wishing them well.

"...but they promised 15 bags of fertiliser, they promised more money in the pockets, have they given? Tell the people, 'more money, more money' now K10 million will be K10,000. You must tell the people about these things. They (PF) rubbished you (MMD) for 10 years when they were in opposition, they called you people from Chadiza corrupt, but are you corrupt?" Maj Kachingwe asked.

He said it was not good for people to generally brand MMD as being corrupt.
Maj Kachingwe said the MMD members of parliament were passing through hell because of the petitions and urged the party members to bear with them.

He said the little income that members of parliament were getting was being expended in court cases.

"The court cases are not cheap, lawyers are not cheap. Most of them (petitioned MMD MPs) have hired state counsels who are very, very expensive. The election we participated in produced PF and they are in government but how can they today say it was fraudulent? They (PF) are a product of the same process. I know God is with us," Maj Kachingwe said.

He also said the party would not adopt its former Livingstone Central member of parliament, whose election was nullified.

Maj Kachingwe said the MMD would apologise to the people of Livingstone over Katombora and his character.

He said the party would go for the Livingstone seat together with their partners the UPND.

Acting Eastern Province MMD chairperson Ezekiel Mtonga urged Maj Kachingwe not to be poached by the PF.

He said Maj Kachingwe had worked well in mobilising the former ruling party.

Mtonga also commended party members for remaining strong despite being harassed by the PF.

He said Maj Kachingwe played a big role in maintaining the party in the province.

None of the party's members of parliament from the province was around due to other commitments.

Meanwhile, Banda, who defied the master of ceremonies' order that mobile phones be switched off, shocked the party members when his phone rang with a Donchi Kubeba caller tune in the course of the meeting.

This prompted the master of ceremonies Mwambula Mususa to repeat his order.
Mususa, who was seemingly incensed, said songs like Donchi Kubeba were not allowed at such meetings.

Later during the meeting, Chadiza district chairperson Harrison Banda also complained over the matter.

Labels: DORA SILIYA, MMD, NEC

posted by MrK @ 11:37 PM