Maravi

Expel them, we'll adopt them - PF

Expel them, we'll adopt them - PF
By Kombe Chimpinde and Allan Mulenga
Sat 14 July 2012, 16:00 CAT

WYNTER Kabimba says the PF will adopt MMD members of parliament who have been given positions in government if they wish to re-contest their seats. And MMD president Nevers Mumba says he will not change the party's position to expel members who will align themselves with the PF.

Meanwhile, veteran politician and MMD founder member Vernon Mwaanga has resigned from the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC).

In an interview yesterday, Kabimba, who is PF secretary general, mocked Mumba that the nine members of parliament were "free gifts" and MMD would do well to hand them over to PF.

"For us, if MMD decides to expel them on account that they took positions in the government, they will all be adopted in their constituencies. In fact they would have handed them over to us. I will even send a 'thank you' note to Mr. Nevers Mumba for giving me free gifts as PF. I will be very happy with that decision to expel MMD members," he said.

Kabimba said President Michael Sata had a prerogative under the Constitution to appoint any citizen to serve the government.

"If the President is appointing the respective members of parliament to join PF as members of PF, that is a different thing. The President has a prerogative under the Constitution to appoint any citizen of Zambia to serve the government of the Republic of Zambia; not to serve Michael Sata, but to serve the people of this country," he said.

Kabimba said he expected Mumba to appreciate the situation involving his members of parliament because late president Levy Mwanawasa appointed him when he was still a member of the National Christian Coalition.

"The honourable members of parliament that have been appointed by the President are not serving an individual. They are serving the nation and we expect Mr. Mumba himself, who had jumped from his political party to become vice-president, to be able to appreciate this situation. Mr. Mumba himself was appointed from his small party NCC to become vice-president of this country.

Did the late president Mwanawasa consult his members? He just jumped from NCC into MMD and became vice-president. What has changed now?" asked Kabimba.

Yesterday, Mumba announced at a media briefing that the nine that had been offered ministerial positions in government were considered expelled by the party until they resign from their ministerial posts.

He said the MMD had declared a political war against President Sata regardless of the cost.

"Considering the obvious agenda of the PF government to diminish the opposition both in Parliament and outside, the party has decided to fight for democracy," Mumba said.

"We did not start this war and we don't want it, but PF has declared war on democracy. Although we don't like this war, we are ready to fight until we win. We have been provoked, our members have been brutally hunted to belong to the PF government. In view of this assault on democracy, the MMD has decided to protect itself."

Mumba said the action was necessitated after NEC and other MMD members of parliament, who were present at the briefing, invoked the resolution of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee made earlier.

On Thursday, well placed-sources within the MMD said that the party had decided to give a 10- day ultimatum to the affected members of parliament to relinquish their ministerial posts or face expulsion.

"I wish to announce that our party has decided to invoke the resolution of the PLC Parliamentary Liaison Committee which was held immediately after losing the 2011 election, that state: 'Any MMD member of parliament who accepts a ministerial job from the PF government ceases to be a member of the MMD party and a letter of expulsion shall be sent and the National Assembly shall inform the Speaker accordingly'," he explained.

"Our only tools for survival are discipline and unity. As president, I would rather have 20 disciplined and dedicated MPs than 80 who are not sure where they stand."

Mumba said it was not the wish of the party to declare costly by-elections.
"So we are joining the jungle business with him so that when he rolls on the right, we roll on the left and I think that it is important you defend your democracy," he vowed.

"I wish to announce that yesterday I wrote a letter to the President raising deep concern on his adamant desire and attempt to destroy the opposition and create one party-dictatorship. I feel greatly grieved.
The agenda of the President and the PF government has now been exposed as that of wishing to destroy the MMD."

And MMD chairperson for elections Gabriel Namulambe, who was directed to start preparing for elections by Mumba, explained that the decisive action taken by the MMD was aimed at disciplining erring members.

"For us, it doesn't matter whether we lose the elections or not. What is important is to have loyal and disciplined members. If a person insults where he is feeding from or is coming from, then I don't think it is necessary to have that person," he said.

And MMD Luampa member of parliament and North Western province minister Josephine Limaata, who is one of the affected members, said she would not resign from government but contest her expulsion in the courts of law.

During the same briefing, Mumba announced that Mwaanga, the former parliamentary chief whip, who will officially resign on August 1, 2012 said he was retiring from NEC and active politics to give chance to the young people within the MMD.

Labels: MMD, MPs, PF

posted by MrK @ 3:54 PM