Maravi

MMD needs a leader with money, says Kavindele

MMD needs a leader with money, says Kavindele
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Mon 07 May 2012, 12:50 CAT

NO boy can take the MMD out of its current crisis, says Enoch Kavindele. And Kavindele has vehemently opposed the forthcoming MMD provincial conferences to elect its next president, saying the process would plunge the former ruling party into further chaos.

Kavindele, who is vying for the MMD presidency, said the MMD needed a strong leader with political and financial muscle. (He challenged other presidential candidates to contribute finances towards the hosting of the national convention as opposed to the provincial conferences.

The MMD is at crossroads; these are unchartered waters but certainly the provincial conferences are a recipe for balkanising the party and the country, Kavindele said. This country is not a federal state, it is a unitary republic and we as a party agreed that the best man should get the job through national democratic election.

Those are the founding principles of the MMD: to vote for leaders through a national meeting where leaders from all provinces interact and share their experiences. These provincial conferences will cause division and regionalism, which is not one of the founding principles of the MMD.

Kavindele accused his opponents of lacking genuine patriotism towards the party going by the little amounts they pledged towards the successful hosting of MMD national convention.

One could be accused of being elitist or what but this game is not for boys. We need to have a larger contribution from the people. Remember, we also have the by-elections. We still need money. It would be ideal if all of us contributed, say, K100 million each, Kavindele said.

Democracy is expensive and this is one way of making sure that we continue our democratic path, he said. During the MMD renewals, I pledged and I have paid my K61 million. It is not that I don t have use for that money but it s only that I like to see that the multi-partism we brought and the democracy is sustained in this country.

He said the national executive committee should remember that national unity was at stake.

Those who are vying for the MMD presidency should know that ambitions cost money, said Kavindele. The provincial conferences will just plunge the MMD into further problems. It would have been better to bring the national constituency in one central point either in Lusaka or Kabwe. It can be a one-day affair.

Kavindele said while it was true that MMD was broke, lack of money should not drive the former ruling party into unconstitutional practices.
When you lose an election, even those closest supporters desert us but the principles of the MMD are valid, said Kavindele.

Labels: CORRUPTION, ENOCH KAVINDELE, MMD

posted by MrK @ 5:14 PM