Maravi

Kapungwe, Mubika ditch UPND for MMD
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sat 17 Aug. 2013, 14:00 CAT

MUBIKA Mubika says he has ditched MMD to join UPND because of squabbles within the opposition party. In an interview yesterday, Mubika who is former Sinjembela member of parliament, said that he was tired of the continued squabbles in the MMD that were destroying the party.

"People do not just want to iron out differences. We have tried to reconcile people so that we can work together but this is not working.You see, to run a party, you need people to be united and apply their minds andresources but this has not been the case," he said.

Asked if he had joined UPND because of the looming by-election in Sinjembela following the UPND's decision to suspend the incumbent member of parliament Poniso Njeulu for accepting to serve as information deputy minister in government, Mubika said he had not discarded his political ambitions and that it was only appropriate for him to take advantage of the UPND.

"I have not thrown away my political ambitions. I'm still very well known by the people in that area and I don't see why I should not take advantage of such an opportunity if it came," said Mubika.

"I have decided to follow my friends to the UPND, the only party that has the anger and desire to develop the country. If they were any doubts, the nation can be informed through you the media that I have joined UPND."

And speaking when he introduced Mubika, who ditched the party at the same time as MMD's former candidate in the recent Mkushi North elections Jonathan Kapungwe, to Hakainde Hichilema at a media briefing, UPND secretary general Winston Chibwe said the party was delighted that many people were coming on board to join the party.

"We have with us the former Sinjembela member of parliament under MMD who has joined the party and if I look in the crowd… in the just-ended by-elections you assigned me and my colleagues to go to Mkushi (North)and whilst there, we did not win the election but at least we won a candidate. We won an individual, the candidate that ran for MMD. He is in our midst and hehas also come to join our party," said Chibwe.

Recently, Hichilema said UPND was poaching from MMD so that the former ruling party's members do not cross to PF, a tactic MMD president Nevers Mumba is against.

And Kapungwe said he joined the party with many other people so that he could add value to the party. And UPND has written to the police to notify them over their planned protest over the continued stay of the Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda.

"Our protest will be held on Wednesday 21st August from10:00 hours to 12:00 hours at the Supreme Court grounds," the letter reads in part."Our proposed route is from our party secretariat onProvident Street, to Broads Road through to Bwinjimfumu Road, through to ChurchRoad through to Independent Avenue to Supreme Court Grounds."

Labels: MMD, MUBIKA MUBIKA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 3:59 PM