PF will have it rough in EP by-elections, says Nyangu
By Kombe Mataka
Wed 08 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu says PF should forget about winning even a single seat in Eastern Province from the by-elections that will be held this year.
And Nyangu has disclosed that MMD organs in Kasama have approached the party leadership to consider convincing PF Kasama member of parliament Geoffrey Mwamba to resign from PF and rejoin MMD.
In an interview, Nyangu said Eastern Province was a stronghold for MMD and that the party's aim was to defend all its seats that it lost through Supreme Court nullifications.
Nyangu said the PF was aware that MMD was its only political threat currently among the opposition political parties.
"Eastern Province is a very big factor. Every vote counts. This is why the PF have ensured that they have more seats belonging to Eastern Province nullified. But I can assure you that without the component of MMD in PF, they will have it rough (in Eastern Province). They are losing ground in Eastern Province just as they are doing in Northern Province," Nyangu claimed.
Nyangu accused the PF wants to attain a status of a party with a two-third majority in Parliament.
"...but can you have two-third majority without Eastern Province and pockets in North Western Province? They will not even do so in Southern Province, they should forget about it because you need 106 seats for you to control Parliament and to run government the way you want to," Nyangu said.
"We are also aware that they want Milanzi and Chipangali, but I tell you that they will not win even one seat when by-elections are held because people there are upset, especially with government's poor agriculture policies. Even in North Western, they won't make it. If these (agriculture policies) were okay the PF would have had an easy ride."
Nyangu said the MMD was eager to participate in all the by-elections.
"We just have to participate and the vice-president (Michael Kaingu) is right to say we will sit and discuss the way forward so that we mobilise funds and put it in by-elections. That is what they want. So, we are just waiting to convene a full national executive council to endorse what we feel should be done, but organs are on the ground," he said.
Nyangu said MMD functionaries and members were agitated by the loss of seats through Supreme Court nullifications.
"MMD by nature is a party that is everywhere. It has got structures throughout the country. We are a former ruling party by the way; that is why the PF wanted to deregister us, but when they failed, they intensified on nullification of seats so that they weaken us to the bone. That is why if they would get rid of MMD, there would be no competition because they know other political parties are just in pockets elsewhere, they are not a national party. United Party for National Development (UPND) can claim to be national, but if you look at the demography, you find that it's just a claim. We would wish them to be national. Let them try hard, that is why they are trying to be everywhere," Nyangu said.
The Supreme Court recently nullified MMD's Kasenengwa, Malambo, Petauke and Vubwi parliamentary seats on grounds of corruption and electoral malpractices, while Chipangali and Malinzi seats are still before the courts.
And Nyangu said the party organs in Kasama have approached the party on the need to convince Mwamba to resign from PF and join MMD.
"The organs there (Kasama) are saying 'it is easier because we already have structures'. MMD has more structures in Kasama, but if Mr Mwamba had to join MMD, it would be easier for us to campaign because Mr Mwamba knows the structures of MMD, each time there are elections, it has been between PF and MMD, so it would be easy to realign those structures and get the seat easily. Obviously he would be a factor in MMD. You know GBM is household name in Kasama politics; so, it would be easy to win the seat," said Nyangu.
Mwamba upon resigning his ministerial position as defence minister told his supporters in kasama that until he is told to leave the Patriotic Front, he would stick to the ruling party.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHEMBE NYANGU, EASTERN PROVINCE, MMD, PF
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PF will have it rough in EP by-elections, says Nyangu
By Kombe Mataka
Wed 08 Jan. 2014, 14:00 CAT
MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu says PF should forget about winning even a single seat in Eastern Province from the by-elections that will be held this year.
And Nyangu has disclosed that MMD organs in Kasama have approached the party leadership to consider convincing PF Kasama member of parliament Geoffrey Mwamba to resign from PF and rejoin MMD.
In an interview, Nyangu said Eastern Province was a stronghold for MMD and that the party's aim was to defend all its seats that it lost through Supreme Court nullifications.
Nyangu said the PF was aware that MMD was its only political threat currently among the opposition political parties.
"Eastern Province is a very big factor. Every vote counts. This is why the PF have ensured that they have more seats belonging to Eastern Province nullified. But I can assure you that without the component of MMD in PF, they will have it rough (in Eastern Province). They are losing ground in Eastern Province just as they are doing in Northern Province," Nyangu claimed.
Nyangu accused the PF wants to attain a status of a party with a two-third majority in Parliament.
"...but can you have two-third majority without Eastern Province and pockets in North Western Province? They will not even do so in Southern Province, they should forget about it because you need 106 seats for you to control Parliament and to run government the way you want to," Nyangu said.
"We are also aware that they want Milanzi and Chipangali, but I tell you that they will not win even one seat when by-elections are held because people there are upset, especially with government's poor agriculture policies. Even in North Western, they won't make it. If these (agriculture policies) were okay the PF would have had an easy ride."
Nyangu said the MMD was eager to participate in all the by-elections.
"We just have to participate and the vice-president (Michael Kaingu) is right to say we will sit and discuss the way forward so that we mobilise funds and put it in by-elections. That is what they want. So, we are just waiting to convene a full national executive council to endorse what we feel should be done, but organs are on the ground," he said.
Nyangu said MMD functionaries and members were agitated by the loss of seats through Supreme Court nullifications.
"MMD by nature is a party that is everywhere. It has got structures throughout the country. We are a former ruling party by the way; that is why the PF wanted to deregister us, but when they failed, they intensified on nullification of seats so that they weaken us to the bone. That is why if they would get rid of MMD, there would be no competition because they know other political parties are just in pockets elsewhere, they are not a national party. United Party for National Development (UPND) can claim to be national, but if you look at the demography, you find that it's just a claim. We would wish them to be national. Let them try hard, that is why they are trying to be everywhere," Nyangu said.
The Supreme Court recently nullified MMD's Kasenengwa, Malambo, Petauke and Vubwi parliamentary seats on grounds of corruption and electoral malpractices, while Chipangali and Malinzi seats are still before the courts.
And Nyangu said the party organs in Kasama have approached the party on the need to convince Mwamba to resign from PF and join MMD.
"The organs there (Kasama) are saying 'it is easier because we already have structures'. MMD has more structures in Kasama, but if Mr Mwamba had to join MMD, it would be easier for us to campaign because Mr Mwamba knows the structures of MMD, each time there are elections, it has been between PF and MMD, so it would be easy to realign those structures and get the seat easily. Obviously he would be a factor in MMD. You know GBM is household name in Kasama politics; so, it would be easy to win the seat," said Nyangu.
Mwamba upon resigning his ministerial position as defence minister told his supporters in kasama that until he is told to leave the Patriotic Front, he would stick to the ruling party.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHEMBE NYANGU, EASTERN PROVINCE, MMD, PF
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UPND too small to swallow us - MMD
By Allan Mulenga
Mon 15 July 2013, 14:01 CAT
UPND is too small to swallow MMD, says Chembe Nyangu. And Nyangu says it is an insult for the UPND senior leadership, which has been vulgar towards other parties, to propose a merger with MMD.
Commenting on the decision by the UPND senior leadership to task Mutale Nalumango to engage senior MMD officials, among them Dr Brian Chituwo, Kabinga Pande and Kenneth Chipungu with a view to merging the two parties, Nyangu, who is MMD deputy national secretary, said there was no way the former ruling party could join UPND.
"We can't join UPND because UPND senior leaders' language is not inspiring. There is no way Mutale Nalumango can propose that MMD joins UPND," he said. "These mergers must be negotiated by sober individuals. They need to send people with good language to do that. MMD is not like these other political parties which are run by individuals. MMD has a very different system of running the party, and no single person owns MMD."
Nyangu urged UPND senior leadership to use "responsible" persons with good negotiating skills to negotiate a merger.
"It will take a group of responsible senior people to negotiate with UPND, if that is the wish of Zambians to merge the two parties. I will guide them on how to negotiate issues of such nature. We will not just pick Bowman Lusambo to go and speak to UPND, no. We have to pick responsible people, not for people like Bowman," he said.
"If UPND pick on Nalumango to come and negotiate with us, we will doubt her in MMD in the first place. Nalumango just left MMD and poured a lot of scorn on MMD and you expect people to listen to her?"
And Nyangu said it was an insult for the UPND senior leadership to task ordinary officials to deal with a serious issue like an alliance between the two parties.
"You cannot just send a handful of people to go and negotiate. Such a serious matter must have the blessing of all party members and we need to select sober people to go and negotiate," he said.
"This is a national issue because it borders on issues that affect lives of Zambians. Lives of Zambians depend on what these two political parties will come up with."
Nyangu said he was shocked that some senior party leaders were involved in negotiating for a merger between the two parties.
"We don't know why Kabinga Pande, Dr Brian Chituwo and Kenneth Chipungu have been mention because the party has not given them authority to do that. MMD has a method of working; you need to be given authority to negotiate with UPND. We operate very skillfully," he said.
"There is no way we can leave out key people in the party and just pick those individuals. There are people who can make decisions on behalf of the party. It will not be Nalumamgo to come and negotiate with MMD. Nalumango is nowhere in the hierarchy of UPND. What platform does she have? She is just an ordinary member. Is it how UPND negotiates with other political parties to say, 'go and negotiate with the vice-president, chairman and chairperson for elections?'"
The UPND senior leadership has tasked Nalumango to engage senior MMD officials, among them Dr Chituwo, Pande and Chipungu with a view to merging the two parties.
UPND wants to merge with MMD in order to dislodge the PF from power in the 2016 election.
Sources disclosed that Nalumango, who recently defected from MMD to join UPND, has so far held meetings with Dr Chituwo, Pande and Chipungu.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, MMD, UPND
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Calls for Kachingwe, Nyangu to leave MMD divisive - Namugala
By Allan Mulenga
Wed 21 Nov. 2012, 14:10 CAT
CATHERINE Namugala says MMD has weakened itself further by calling for the resignation of national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe and his deputy Chembe Nyangu.
In an interview yesterday, Namugala, who is MMD chairperson for women affairs, said those calling for the duo's resignation had been sponsored to destroy the party.
The MMD wants to hound out Maj Kachingwe and Nyangu from the party on allegations that they were working closely with PF.
"The calling of Kachingwe and Nyangu to go is in bad faith. I am expecting the president of the party himself to speak about this because we need to know his position. What is his position on this?" she asked.
"For me as a member of the party who has been there for many years, I think it is very sad that MMD should end up like this; wanting to divide itself and weakening itself even further."
Namugala, who is also Mafinga MMD member of parliament, claimed that the MMD would have gone into extinction had it not been for Maj Kachingwe and Nyangu.
"Kachingwe has been in and out of court. We were even evicted from regional offices, Kachingwe was there to pick up the pieces, found the secretariat, put everything together. Our motor vehicles were seized, Kachingwe was there being harassed. When there were threats to deregister the party, Kachingwe was there being ridiculed," she recalled.
"It is very unfortunate that anyone of us can demand that Kachingwe and Chembe Nyangu go. Kachingwe and Chembe Nyangu have contributed more than their fair share to the well being of this party up to this stage. Kachingwe and Chembe Nyangu have sacrificed a lot to keep MMD going. If it wasn't for those two gentlemen, there would be no MMD to talk about today."
Namugala urged party members to follow the laid down procedures when dealing with issues concerning the party.
"We should be thanking them for holding the party together. As human beings, if there is anything that they are doing wrong, any system has internal mechanism of dealing with those problems. But not to be going out to the press and calling for their removal. These two people were elected by the convention," said Namugala.
"MMD has procedures and it is most unfortunate that some of the people who are speaking loudest about the removal of these people are people who don't even know MMD. People who move from one party to the other are the ones who are in the forefront saying; 'remove this one and remove that one'."
Labels: CATHERINE NAMUGALA, CHEMBE NYANGU, MMD, RICHARD KACHINGWE
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UPND should avoid being selfish - Nyangu
By Allan Mulenga and Tilyenji Mwanza
Thu 18 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT
UPND members must avoid advancing selfish interests, says MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu. Reacting to UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa's statement that UPND will no longer deliberate with the former ruling party in future elections because there was no pact between the two opposition parties, Nyangu urged the UPND not to be emotional about the decision by the MMD to defy an agreement not to contest nine local government elections.
"But going by what our colleagues are saying, that 'it is the last time we are going together', we will not take that as a final decision. I think they were talking out of emotions," he said.
"They UPND are being emotional. Let them think twice and look at the bigger picture and not looking at just smaller picture. Let them look at the bigger picture. If they look at themselves, they will see the real things. They shouldn't be emotional. They should look at issues that will benefit the greater opposition, not just looking at themselves. There was no proper planning; let's plan well next time."
Nyangu said the UPND had faced "rejection" at the grassroot in some areas.
"It was a rejection at their UPND grassroot. It became difficult for us to reverse those decisions except in a few wards like Mukaika, Chavuma and Chibombo. They dragged us and we said, 'okay fine, let us leave it to our colleagues, since we are in a working relationship,'" he said.
"That was not our problem, it was the problem with our colleagues the UPND because the decision for them not to contest in Mufumbwe came too late. Then an afterthought of saying, 'no okay if that is the case (MMD contesting in Mufumbwe) then give us all the wards'. It was too late.
We did not do it deliberately, but that is the situation; it was too late and our organs had already made their own arrangements and it was difficult to reverse."
Nyangu blamed the confusion which ensued between the two opposition parties on improper planning.
But MMD national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe said the former ruling party would not use the media to discuss its relationship with UPND.
Major Kachingwe said the party had strict principles not to discuss its relationship in the media but would instead address their matters using indoor discussions.
"I can say please when you are in relationship you don't go out broadcasting. It's like in a marriage, you do not go out broadcasting who was doing what in the bedroom. You sort out the problems in the bedroom," he said.
Major Kachingwe admitted that there had never been a pact between MMD and UPND, but said they were cooperating partners who had a good working relationship despite being different entities with different manifestos.
"Yes, there has never been a pact but we have a very good working relationship and we meet in round table conferences, we discuss and move forward and we like the way we go.
"And it's true we are different entities, with different manifestos but we come for a common purpose of providing checks and balances to the ruling party," Maj Kahingwe said.
He said he had good relationships with both UPND secretary general Winstone Chibwe and UPND president Hakainde Hichilema.
"Yes we will still work closely together, yes, I have no problem with what is in the papers. If the secretary general wants to talk to me he merely just picks up a phone and talks to me, and even the president. For me it's just you newspapers wanting to sell," Maj Kachingwe said.
Asked to appeal to UPND to stop issuing statements, Maj Kachingwe said he was not a dictator and doing so would be over-stepping his boundaries.
Maj Kachingwe said he had issued strict instructions to his party not to give any statements pertaining to their relationship with UPND.
He added that he did not know the implications the statements in the media would have on the two parties' relationship.
Mweetwa on Monday said UPND will no longer deliberate with the former ruling party in future elections because there was no pact between the two opposition parties and that the Mufumbwe case was a unique circumstance.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, CORNELIUS MWEETWA, UPND
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MMD leaders congratulate Nyangu for telling UPND off
By Allan Mulenga
Fri 28 Sep. 2012, 12:10 CAT
THE UPND leadership is displeased with MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu's statement that the opposition party has nothing to offer Zambians, sources have disclosed.
But Nyangu has maintained his earlier position and refused to succumb to pressure from the UPND that he retracts his statement.
Nyangu, in his reaction to UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa's assertions that the former ruling party could not claim popularity in Mufumbwe because it was no longer in power, said it was "nonsense" for the UPND to think in those lines simply because the MMD lost power in last year's elections.
MMD sources told The Post yesterday that the UPND called for an emergency meeting to discuss Nyangu's statement which was, however, highly supported by several NEC members of the former ruling party.
The MMD says UPND members' selfish interests make it hard for them to work with other political parties.
There is a rift between UPND and MMD over the latter's decision to field a candidate in Mufumbwe by-election.
Sources have disclosed that senior UPND members called for an emergency meeting in which they discussed among other things the views expressed by Nyangu that the party had nothing to offer to the Zambian people.
"The UPND now they are questioning what MMD deputy national secretary has said. This is going to create problems, but they said the UPND senior officials have vowed not to give up on Mufumbwe.
They complained bitterly about the story which appeared in The Post on Wednesday," the source said.
Sources further disclosed that there was jubilation in the MMD camp following the views expressed by Nyangu that UPND had been antagonistic and unrealistic over the by-election.
"The NEC officials congratulated Nyangu for telling the UPND off. Because last week when we held a NEC meeting at the secretariat, people complained that UPND shouldn't take us for a ride. They will not go there, it is our seat, you tell them. So they were told to leave it. So the way it has come out, it has just showed that they UPND cannot work with any party. Even under UDA it was the same; with Patriotic Front it was the same, ULP it was the same, now it is MMD," the source said.
Sources further complained that since the two opposition parties entered into a loose alliance, the UPND had always wanted to be treated like a bigger party as compared to the MMD.
"They UPND can't work with any opposition party in the country; they will never progress because they have selfish interests. They are just being unrealistic; they should exhibit leadership. We have more members of parliament; we had 55 MPs against 28. But you see we were very much ahead of them. Now they are taking advantage of us, they are saying MMD always give us, not knowing that we are big boys, a mother of all political parties. They are worried about their future," said the source.
The UPND on Tuesday told MMD not to claim popularity in Mufumbwe because they were no longer in power.
And Nyangu hit back, saying UPND had nothing to offer the Zambian people and dismissed their claims as "nonsense".
The two opposition parties, who claim to be in a loose alliance under which they agreed to collectively field a candidate for by-elections, have separately engaged in discussions to each contest the upcoming Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election.
And Nyangu yesterday said he still stood by his earlier statement that the UPND had nothing to offer Zambians.
"I am not going to retract my statement," said Nyangu when asked to comment on the matter.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHEMBE NYANGU, MMD, PF
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Rupiah directs Nyangu to reprimand William
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 09 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has directed MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu to reprimand William Banda over demands that the MMD branch committee at Intercity Bus Terminus should be paying him K1 million every day. But Nyangu yesterday dispelled the assertion and claimed most of his staff at the MMD secretariat hated William Banda and were leaking incorrect information to the media.
However, well-placed MMD sources revealed that Lusaka Province MMD chairperson William Banda recently dissolved an elected branch committee at the Lusaka Intercity Bus Terminus and replaced it with his own favoured one.
“Those from the old committee are not even being allowed to enter Intercity. William Banda is demanding K1 million per day for his operations as chairman from the branch committee. He has brought in thugs who are not even registered voters,” the source said.
The sources said the dissolved committee complained to local government minister Dr Brian Chituwo over the matter.
The sources said Dr Chituwo in return conveyed the complaint to President Banda and MMD national chairman Michael Mabenga. “The President is very upset over the news and directed that William Banda be reprimanded or disciplined over his conduct,” the source said.
The source said that following the directive from President Banda and Mabenga, Nyangu met William Banda and some of his provincial executive officials on Monday. The sources said that during the meeting William Banda denied collecting money from the committee.
“The meeting heard that there was a plan by some executive committee officials to collect the money but William Banda is not a signatory to the monies. The meeting also heard that the former committee was dissolved because they were not attending party meetings,” the source said.
But when contacted for comment, Nyangu said he would not handle administrative party matters in the press.
“We know that William Banda has a lot of enemies at the secretariat. A lot of my staff don't support William Banda. Maybe it's because he worked with them there at the secretariat,” said Nyangu. “If there is any member at the secretariat who is leaking incorrect information, I am going to investigate to find out who is leaking information…why everything which goes on they leak. I will deal with that one.”
The Post was unable to contact Banda on his mobile by the time it went to press.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, MMD, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, RUPIAH BANDA, WILLIAM BANDA
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PF tells MMD to refund FRA’s K5m donation
By Patson Chilemba
Sat 01 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT
THE PF has demanded that the MMD refunds the K5 million donation received from FRA during the ruling party’s recently held dinner dance.
In a letter dated December 28, 2010 and addressed to Food Reserve Agency executive director and copied to MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu, PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba stated that as a government parastatal company which was financed by money appropriated by Parliament through the Ministry of Finance, it was improper for FRA to use taxpayers’ money to finance a political party whose objectives were not charity in nature.
“This act on the part of FRA is tantamount to plunder of public resources. In view of the above, the PF would like to know the basis on which the FRA board made such a decision and the provisions of the Articles of Association or the Act of Parliament which support or authorised the board to make the donation in question,” Kabimba stated.
“In the absence of such legal provisions, we demand that the MMD refunds the FRA the sum of K5,000,000 within seven days from the date hereof to enable the company to pay the peasant farmers, some of whom have not been paid to date for their crop sold to FRA.”
Kabimba stated that PF reserved the option to commence legal proceedings in the High Court over the matter.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, FRA, MMD, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA
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By-election losses have raised concern in the MMD – Nyangu
By Patson Chilemba
Thu 12 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT
FILE PICTURE: President Rupiah Banda during a campaign in Luena MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu has admitted that the ruling party’s parliamentary by-election losses have raised a bit of concern.Commenting on the MMD losses of five out of the seven parliamentary by-elections which had been held since President Rupiah Banda assumed office, Nyangu, who is the substantive MMD deputy national secretary, said the ruling party was working on addressing the issues which led to the losses in the by-elections.
“It the MMD parliamentary losses does raise a bit of concern. That is why we are working on it vigorously. But I must say that we’ve done very well in the local government. That is the base of the election. We actually wrestled three from the opposition. As for the parliamentary, of course we are not happy that we lost,” Nyangu said.
“I think in my opinion we are getting there. We are still hopeful that we will get most of these constituencies because for ADD president and Luena member of parliament Charles Milupi, he will be concentrating on the presidency, so us now we are going to get in and get that Luena seat.”
On former president Frederick Chiluba’s involvement in the MMD campaigns, Nyangu said the MMD would use Chiluba effectively in the 2011 campaigns. He said despite the party losing in areas where Chiluba campaigned, the former president was a plus to the MMD.
“If he supports us he is a bonus. So we would like to urge him to continue. And next year he will be there to do it for the MMD,” he said. “I am not ashamed to say that because Dr Chiluba is a founding father. Even you when you grow up, do you think you can forget your grandchildren?”
Nyangu also said he considered Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande not to be members of the ruling party.
He said formally getting rid of the two from the party called for a rigorous process.
“It’s a process. I don’t want people to win these cases on technicalities,” said Nyangu.
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CHEMBE NYANGU
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‘Rupiah has instructed the doctoring of delegates list’
By Patson Chilemba
Tue 20 July 2010, 14:10 CAT
NG’ANDU Magande has charged that President Rupiah Banda has instructed MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu to doctor the list of delegates for the party national convention.
In an interview, Magande, who is Chilanga MMD member of parliament, disclosed that Nyangu last Saturday barred some MMD officials who were believed to support Magande from attending a meeting he had with officials in Mazabuka. He said he believed the meeting was called to discuss how delegates to the convention would be elected.
Magande said there would be no need to go for the convention if the list of delegates would be doctored.
“And if the delegates’ list are being doctored, therefore, who will want to go to such a convention? Why go to a place where you know everybody who is there has been given instructions of what to do?” Magande asked on Monday.
He said the bad things that were happening had the blessing of the President.
“I mean these people are comparing myself with him. I have no facilities to instruct Mr Nyangu; he President Banda might have. And in fact he has, not he might have. Perhaps he is the one who has instructed Mr Nyangu to behave in that manner,” Magande said.
He said with what was happening, the MMD convention would be a complete sham.
However, Magande asked his supporters not to give up, saying they had to find another way of getting to the public.
“Clearly, these people don’t respect democracy. Why don’t you give your citizens an opportunity to choose the best?” Magande asked.
He wondered how the MMD government would conduct democratic elections if those at party level were undemocratic.
Magande urged citizens to register as voters as that would be their only opportunity to decide the leadership of the nation.
Magande mentioned Mazabuka MMD district deputy chairperson Takawira Mahere and Mazabuka Central Constituency chairperson Davis Bbilika as some of the people who were barred from attending the meeting.
District youth chairperson Kecious Gaanga was also barred from attending the meeting.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, MAGANDE, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA
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Pact rattles demotivated L/stone MMD officials
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Thu 15 July 2010, 04:10 CAT
MMD Livingstone party officials have expressed worry about the PF-UPND pact, warning their party leadership not to bury their heads in the sand. And discontented party officials have complained about the lack of motivation from President Rupiah Banda and the national office.
In an interview after the constituency and district meeting addressed by acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu, a party official who sought anonymity said that party officials in the district were worried about the PF-UPND pact.
“We told the national secretary to tell the President that we are worried about the Pact, and we need to be serious because things are not that safe. We don’t need to bury our heads in the sand,” the source said.
The source added that Livingstone district commissioner Francis Chika was also summoned to attend the party meeting. The source added that party officials complained to Nyangu about non-motivation among the party officials by the President.
“We complained to Nyangu that the President seems to only favour Eastern Province and not other areas. The officials told him that we also need to be motivated and that unless this is done, we are in a big problem next year.
We told him that we need people like our chairperson Mr John Mukosho to be motivated by being made district commissioner. The man was at one time the only MMD councillor here in Livingstone when the UPND dominated that council,” the source said.
And when asked to confirm that the MMD in Livingstone had summoned Chika to the party meeting chaired by him, Nyangu said that the party wanted to find out about the developmental projects going on in the district.
“Yes, we did invite him to the meeting because we wanted to find out the progress about the developmental programmes going on in the district. The road has been tarred in Livingstone. It is very nice now to drive on the roads of Livingstone,” he said.
However, when contacted Chika said that he did not attend the meeting but that he had only offered the MMD office space for the meeting.
“I did not attend the meeting. They had asked for space to have a meeting but then they realised that the place was small. They had over 50 people and they could not fit here, so they moved to Victoria Hall at the party offices for the meeting,” he said.
And Nyangu said that Mazabuka district vice-chairman Takawira Mahere has a problem.
“I'm in the province on party duties to visit my organs. On the issue of the party, I will not discuss party issues in the press; that is a style I have adopted. On the issue of Mazabuka, I have heard on Mazabuka Radio that the party has disciplined Mahere. In my view, he has a problem. We don’t need indisciplined people in the party.
I will have a meeting as I’m heading to Mazabuka,” he said. He added that the statements by Mahere needed to be taken seriously as the party in the province was losing popularity. However, Christine Lubinda and Juliet Makokwa said that the party was intact and that Mahere was just disgruntled after being demoted as district commissioner.
“We are for President Rupiah Banda and we want to send a clear message to Mahere that we shall crush him. What has taken Mahere all this time to start commenting on Solomon Muzyamba our provincial chairman and President Rupiah Banda? Livingstone is the place where the first declaration of Rupiah as our sole candidate for 2011 was made by Muzyamba, and we have been consulted and we all agree.
Mahere is just a frustrated man who wants to be reappointed; and we will not accept that. We have a capable chairperson in Muzyamba and RB is a warm-hearted person,” Lubinda said. Makokwa added that Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe was not misleading the President as Mahere claimed.
Labels: CHEMBE NYANGU, CHRISTNE LUBINDA, LIVINGSTONE, MMD, PF-UPND
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