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Namulambe wants NEC to discuss Nevers' dual presidency, Kachingwe's expulsion

Namulambe wants NEC to discuss Nevers' dual presidency, Kachingwe's expulsion
By Kombe Chimpinde
Fri 07 Dec. 2012, 12:00 CAT

MMD chairperson for elections Gabriel Namulambe says the appointment of Kapembwa Simbao as national secretary is erroneous.

And Namulambe (left) has demanded a full National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to discuss the expulsion of Major Richard Kachingwe and Nevers Mumba's dual presidency.

In an interview yesterday over Simbao's appointment and the revelation by some NEC members that the position of national secretary was for NEC members only, Namulambe said it was true that Simbao did not qualify.
He warned that MMD risked going into oblivion if its leaders refused to be guided by the constitution.

Namulambe, who is also MMD Mpongwe member of parliament, said some actions that were being undertaken were based on selfishness.

"I am compelled to comment on what has appeared in The Post. Although I am yet to see the minutes of the meeting, I have been consulting the national chairman (Kabinga Pande) over the meeting that was held to expel Major (Richard) Kachingwe. From the information gathered, I am told there were 32 members who sat (in the meeting) and of those 32, two were not members of the National Executive Committee. These are honourable Mutolo Phiri and a Mr Mutiti," he explained.

"This means there were 30 people in that meeting and it means that the quorum was not formed."

Namulambe said in view of the failure of the meeting held at Mumba's residence, the members that were present could not arrive at a decision to expel Maj Kachingwe.

"The bedrock of MMD is the provision of our party constitution and we should not assault the provisions of the party constitution. If the quorum was not formed, the meeting should not have gone ahead to make such a big decision. I think respect for the constitution is very important," Namulambe said.

"In any case, if the office of national secretary falls vacant, it is automatic that the deputy national secretary takes the mantle to act as national secretary. The appointment of Mr. (Kapembwa) Simbao as national secretary was erroneous in view of the fact that he is not a member of the National Executive Committee. The position of national secretary is part of an employee of a company.

A national secretary is a member of a National Executive Committee and chief executive officer of the party who by virtue of being national secretary, our constitution states that 'he is an employee to run the affairs of the party on the day to day basis'. So as such, the appointment of my brother Simbao was erroneous."

Namulambe said a member of the party only becomes an employee once elected by its members.

"What should have happened first was to fill the position by way of using the people that are in NEC and then advertise and if within NEC, there is no person eligible for the position, it is then that we would have opened it to the general membership of the party and make people apply for the position and elections should have been done by NEC to fill that vacant position," he said.

"This was not done at the so-called meeting. So in whatever form that it was done, it was irregular and unconstitutional."

Namulambe said MMD leaders should be guided by the constitution.

"The problem with me is I have difficulties with telling lies because I easily forget. That it is why I want to depend on the provisions of the party constitution. I know even in the past there are certain times when we have abrogated the provisions of the party constitution. If you remember, for instance, when Mike Mulongoti was expelled from the party, there was no charge against him, which was erroneous although the same was reported to the national convention," he said.

"When Mulongoti was being expelled from the party, he should have been accorded a chance. The rules of natural justice demand that a person is not guilty until after proven guilty."

He said although the constitution was amended at the 2011 national convention held in Kabwe to give powers to NEC to expel a member, the the rules of natural justice should be exercised.

"Let us swallow our pride and abide by our party principles and the ideas of the party for which it was constituted," Namulambe said.
Asked to comment whether Maj Kachingwe was in order to nullify the election of Mumba, Namulambe said he would not comment on the matter as it was before the courts of law.

However, Namulambe demanded a full NEC meeting to discuss the expulsion of Maj Kachingwe and Mumba's dual membership.

"With due respect to the matters in court, let me assure the general public that we are in control and we want to have a full NEC meeting where all these contentious issues are going to be discussed and deliberated on. What is important is not individuals because the party is bigger than all individuals," Namulambe said.

"The best thing we can do is to defend the constitution and I stand to defend the constitution of the party and the general membership of the party should not be worried. I know that after losing elections, the party is still in a turbulent state. There are still a lot of teething problems but I think we should rise above these problems."

And Namulambe said the 2016 presidential election bid must not be the priority for leaders.

"The issue of elections should not make us lose direction or become selfish over certain things. Let our actions be above selfishness because if we are selfish, we won't be able to move the party forward," Namulambe said.

"Let us re-organise ourselves. Let us move to the provinces, to the districts, to the constituencies, to the ward, and to the branches to get re-organised. I think people still have hope. Our energy should be focused on coming up with a new manifesto. There have been some people that have insinuated that the party might go into oblivion. Yes it will go into oblivion when we go against what the party provides in the constitution."

Labels: GABRIEL NAMULAMBE, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, RICHARD KACHINGWE

posted by MrK @ 9:30 PM