UPND regrets pact with MMD

UPND regrets pact with MMD
By Tilyenji Mwanza and Roy Habaalu
Tue 16 Oct. 2012, 14:30 CAT

THE UPND says it will no longer deliberate with the MMD in future elections because there is no pact between the two opposition parties.

During its National Management Committee (NMC) meeting held recently, UPND resolved not to work with the MMD after it defied an agreement not to contest in nine local government elections.

UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said the MMD insisted on contesting Mufumbwe in order to discipline its former member of parliament Steven Masumba.

He said the UPND allowed the MMD to contest Mufumbwe for them to flex their political muscle and avoid diminishing their chances of retaining the seat.

"There is no pact between MMD and UPND; there has never been a pact. It is not a situation of creating a pact to unseat PF or something; we were only working to provide checks and balances so that the ruling party can deliver to the expectations of the people.

There is no pact and this is what I am trying to explain; we have never signed a memorandum of understanding with MMD of how we are going to work together. We are working together with ADD for instance and ULP, we hold joint press conferences with them. MMD, no! We do not have such agreements," said Mweetwa.

"Mufumbwe was a unique circumstance that was why we did not field a candidate. If MMD feel that they are popular, popularity is not what we claim as politicians; it's what people say and the voters are the ones who say who is popular and we do not want to go into a popularity contest with MMD.

MMD and UPND are not in any pact and if (the) next by-elections came through depending on the circumstances, we do not need to deliberate with MMD because we have no pact and Mufumbwe was just an exception," he said.

Mweetwa said UPND had only been in a pact with the Patriotic Front (PF) where they intended to harmonise their manifestos.
Meanwhile, sources said UPND had resolved to contest future elections independently.

"There is no question about it, UPND is now working on its own. We don't need MMD, after all their entire president (Nevers Mumba) has been boasting that they're bigger than us. HH also gives too much latitude to newcomers and now he's misled. This was after warning him never to give up Mufumbwe," the source said.

Efforts to get a comment from MMD leaders failed as they were attending rallies in Mufumbwe.