Maravi

Nevers quizzes Dora
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sat 06 July 2013, 14:01 CAT

MMD PRESIDENT Nevers Mumba says he has been talking to Dora Siliya over her being linked to UPND.

In an interview yesterday, Mumba, who was responding to revelations by sources that UPND wanted Siliya and Maxwell Mwale to stand on the party ticket in Petauke Central and Malambo respectively, said he was aware that some of his influential members were being approached by UPND with a view to defect.

"It is true that our members are preparing now for the elections. We know that honourable Mwale has been approached to see whether he could stand on UPND ticket. I have been talking to Dora Siliya, she says she is not aware of that. So I cannot speak on their behalf, they have to speak for themselves," he said.

Mumba said the poaching by UPND was an 'issue' that he was already dealing with as party president and would soon issue a statement on the matter.

"That is another issue that we are dealing with. I will come out on that subject at some stage soon," he said.

Mumba said he expected Siliya to re-contest the seat on the MMD ticket as indicated by all the executives in the province.

Mumba said MMD wanted the two former members of parliament to re-contest their seats on the former ruling party ticket.

"In Petauke Central for instance, I was there last week. The executive committees in Petauke Central all want Dora to re-contest. They are the ones who make the decision and they all want Dora. The constituency, the district and the province, they all want Dora to re-contest. So she will have to listen to the grassroots because they are the ones who have got the floor," said Mumba.

But Mwale said in an interview that he was not available for political office because his family had asked him to rest.

Mwale said that he was however available for public office, even in an advisory role.

Mwale could however not deny or confirm whether he had been approached by UPND to re-contest Malambo on its seat.

"In any case I am not for sale, even to the highest bidder. My family and I have agreed that I need a rest from politics so I am taking a back stage.," Mwale said.
He said he would not be available for the MMD to re-contest the seat, or for any political bidder.
Mwale lost the Malambo seat after the Supreme Court nullified it on grounds of electoral malpractices.
Highly-placed sources within the UPND confirmed that there were consultations going on with Siliya and her supporters and that overwhelming response had been received from Mwale.

Asked to confirm or deny reports of the UPND move on Siliya and Mwale, Hichilema said he had no comment on the matter.
In April when Canisius Banda resigned from MMD to join UPND, Mumba said the MMD felt betrayed by UPND for cannabalising its members.

Mumba stated that the UPND, its alliance partner, was creating a lack of trust and confidence by its continued poaching of MMD senior members.

But Hichilema in April justified the poaching of MMD senior members, saying it was one way of consolidating the opposition in the country.

Hichilema said by poaching from MMD, UPND was ensuring that members were not lost to the PF.

Labels: DORA SILIYA, MAXWELL MWALE, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 2:45 PM