HH justifies MMD defections to UPND
By Allan Mulenga and Kombe Chimpinde
Wed 17 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says MMD should not cry foul when its senior party members join his party because it is one way of consolidating the opposition in the country.
And MMD president Nevers Mumba says he had not been consulted over UPND's manoeuvres to poach MMD officials.
Meanwhile, MMD chairperson for health, Dr Canisius Banda, who has been offered the position of vice-president in UPND, says members' stay in a party must be based on conviction.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka yesterday, Hichilema, whose party is MMD's alliance partner, said rather than getting concerned when MMD loses members to UPND, senior party leaders in MMD should be preoccupied with building a united opposition to offer strong checks and balances to the PF.
"It is a question of misunderstanding. Our concern is that the opposition must retain members in the opposition. That is how our numbers will grow. Both the UPND and MMD are being attacked by the PF in terms of our councillors, in terms of our members of parliament. I think it (UPND poaching from its alliance partner MMD) is for us to retain our members in the opposition so that we can maintain democracy," he said.
"The challenge is not really on the issue between UPND and MMD, or ADD. I am mentioning that with MPs and probably FDD. Because in my view, I would rather have numbers staying in the opposition for the sake of democracy, and checks and balances than the MMD crossing to the PF, which will cause a defacto one-party state. I think that should be the concern of all of us in the opposition."
Hichilema said UPND's poaching of MMD members was a 'non-issue'.
"I am not concerned about a UPND member going to ADD or FDD, absolutely not. It is a non-issue to me. I am concerned about a UPND member who goes to the PF because while they have their democratic rights, that will cause a one-party state dictatorship which we are already seeing today," he said.
Hichilema said the opposition should concentrate on defending itself because it was under attack by PF.
And Mumba said he had not been consulted over UPND manoeuvres to poach MMD members.
"I am not aware of the developments that have been taking place. I have been away and I cannot make a comment on an issue that has not been confirmed by my office. We have to sit down and consider what is going on. As you are aware, there is no pact between the two of us. So, really we have to make our own independent decision and then we will act," said Mumba in an interview yesterday.
Recently, some MMD members have been defecting to UPND.
One of Mumba's closest allies, Dr Banda, is heading to UPND, where he is supposed to be co-opted as party's vice-president.
Dr Banda said the retention of members by any organisation should not be by force.
"Members must opt to stay in an organisation based on their own freewill. In addition, the attractiveness of that entity, the value that they see in that entity, so it must be something founded on their own conviction," he said.
"Without that, whether somebody comes to look for them or not, they will leave. They will not stay, you understand. So instead of blaming other people, for people leaving an organisation, I think it's better to look inside and find out, what is it that we are not doing right, that is making us not retain members. I think it is important to look inside. Usually when we blame others for our own failing, then we weaken ourselves. We take the responsibility for change away from ourselves."
Dr Banda said he believed MMD still had a chance to re-organise itself although he was still considering taking up the attractive and extra challenging job of leading a party in a position of vice-president.
"President Hichilema himself communicated their decision to me.
And I did not respond after this. I said that I would need to consult because this is not a decision I can make by myself. It is not about me, it is about the people of the country. It is about the nation. So I have been making consultations and yesterday I officially informed my party through the national secretary Kapembwa Simbao. I had a meeting with him and I told him that this offer is official," he said.
Dr Banda said the ultimate decision he would make would be inspired by selflessness.
Asked why he had opted to give consideration to a job in UPND and not any other party if he wanted to serve in a high political office other than that of committee chairperson, Dr Banda said:
"The PF is very unattractive at the moment because they are for a one-party state. They are not for plurality of political parties or opinions. As for UPND, I have noticed that they are for the respect of citizens or individuals' freedoms and rights. They are for democracy as people dictated that we should have a return of multiparty politics in 1990 and they are for a free market economy. So, now you see that of the parties, they are of the same principles as the MMD," he said.
"I am considering firstly because you see, I am the chairman for health in the MMD at the moment and they are offering the vice-presidency in the UPND. Secondly, I have added my value to the opposition through participation in the MMD so they are asking for my value in the UPND."
Dr Banda said that he did not feel his party was uncomfortable with the consideration because people must be allowed to make their reflections open.
"It's not something that I have had in my mind. It is only now that the offer has been given and I have to reflect about it. I would have continued to diligently and loyally work with Dr Mumba," he said.
"I spoke with Mumba but at the time I spoke with him, the offer was not official."
Labels: DEFECTIONS, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD, UPND
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Luapula MMD deserts Mumba
By Chris Ndhlovu and Godfrey Chikumbi in Mansa
Sun 23 Dec. 2012, 14:30 CAT
THE entire MMD provincial executive in Luapula Province has defected to the PF and has
questioned the legitimacy of party president Nevers Mumba holding the top position. But the former ruling party's vice-president for politics Michael Kaingu downplayed the move, saying the resignation is part of the party's self-cleansing process.
Leading the defectors, MMD provincial chairman Emmanuel Chungu, who was flanked by party chairperson for health Lumba Kalumba, said they had decided to leave the former ruling party because of the unconstitutional conduct of the top leadership.
He said the issues surrounding the legitimacy of Mumba's presidency needed a thorough investigation because the Registrar of Societies had records that he was holding a duo membership as he was still the president of the Reform Party.
Chungu also said the removal of party national secretary Major Richard Kachingwe from office was unconstitutional and calls by senior members of the party to convene a meeting to resolve the matter have been falling on deaf ears.
He vowed to ensure that all the MMD structures in the province were destroyed because Mumba got his leadership position by fluke.
Chungu said the influx of MMD defectors into the PF was not meant to displace the old members in their positions but to support them.
Among others who have defected include provincial spokesperson Wisdom Mpelembe, provincial chairlady Fostina Chola, youth chairperson Benjamin Kabumba, former Chipili member of parliament in the MMD government Jason Mfula, district youth chairperson Chongo Bwafwano and losing candidate Mansa Central parliamentary seat on the MMD ticket Dr Kennedy Chilufya.
Vice-President Guy Scott, who received the defectors in Mansa yesterday, said the defections were a fruition of serious reflection on the performance of the PF for the period it has been in power.
And PF provincial chairman Kennedy Sakeni said the defections from MMD into the PF were a good Christmas present to the party.
Sakeni, who is also information and broadcasting minister, said more membership translated into more support for the party in the province.
But Kaingu has cautioned the PF to be wary of opposition members who were joining the party because some of them had court cases.
Reacting to the resignation of the entire Luapula provincial executive yesterday, Kaingu said he was not surprised that such a thing was happening.
He said the resignations of the party executive members in Luapula was good for the MMD to cleanse itself of those who were not genuine.
Kaingu said the MMD needed to rid itself of members whose loyalty was with PF.
"The MMD suffered heavy defeats in Luapula during last year's elections because of those people who have left to join the PF," he said.
Kaingu said his party was not shaken in any way because there were some genuine MMD members who had remained in Luapula.
He said that his party would be sending a team to Luapula to reconstitute the provincial executive committee.
Kaingu further claimed that some opposition members who were ditching their parties to join the ruling PF were appearing in court for various cases.
Labels: DEFECTIONS, MICHAEL KAINGU, MMD, NEVERS MUMBA, PF
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Defections bad for democracy - FODEP
By Mwila Chansa-Ntambi in Kitwe
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 13:58 CAT
FOUNDATION for Democratic Process information, research and publicity chairperson Isaac Ngoma says the recent defections of people from the opposition to the ruling party weigh down democratic principles and erode the value of checks and balances.
In a statement, Ngoma observed that defections especially among elected officials such as councillors and members of parliament were necessitating costly by-elections at the expense of development. He urged all development-oriented Zambians to condemn the unnecessary by-elections being caused by defectors.
"The recent political defections from the opposition to the ruling party weighs down the principle of democracy and takes away the value of checks and balances that the opposition is expected to provide in a growing democracy like Zambia," Ngoma stated.
"Although these individuals have a democratic right to ditch one political party in preference to another, this should not develop into a culture where politicians resign just because they want to associate themselves with a ruling party."
Ngoma wondered whether some of the defectors really believed in the fundamental principles of the political parties they belonged to only four months ago.
He urged Zambians to reprimand what he termed ‘rolling' politicians when re-adopted to ensure that only people with integrity and passion to serve the public rose to political offices.
"As the situation stands, FODEP foresees more costly by-elections coming in the country at the expense of development. It is saddening to note that while the government is preaching cost-saving measures, some people consciously are taking democracy for granted by causing otherwise avoidable by-elections," stated Ngoma.
He said resources that were being spent on by-elections could be channelled towards alleviating poverty among the many million Zambians living under abject poverty.
Ngoma appealed to Zambians to critically scrutinise politicians that seemed to have reduced politics into a cheap commodity.
Labels: DEFECTIONS, DEMOCRACY, FODEP, ISAAC NGOMA
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Chumbwe defects to PF
Written by Agness Changala
FORMER Lusaka Province MMD chairman Geoffrey Chumbwe has defected to the Patriotic Front (PF) because of intimidation in the MMD. And former MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) member Christine Moonga said one must be a liar to survive in the MMD. Meanwhile, Dunamis Christian Centre founding pastor Dan Pule said he is convinced that Michael Sata is the man that God wants for Zambia.
Speaking when he defected to PF in Lusaka yesterday, Chumbwe, who was welcomed by party vice-president Guy Scott, general secretary Edward Mumbi and other senior officials said, said most people who were not happy with what was going on in the party could not speak because doing so in the MMD was insulting and disrespectful.
"In MMD if you tell the truth, you are insulting and disrespectful," he said.
Chumbwe said it was not easy to decide and join PF because if he did so earlier, he would have died by now.
He said he had decided to join PF not because he was upset or attacked by the MMD but simply because he was disappointed with the party as it had been hijacked by selfish individuals who wanted to get something out of late president Levy Mwanawasa's death.
He said he knew and understood Sata better because they worked together and it was for this reason that he had decided to join the party.
"I have decided to work with bayama [uncle] the one I know better," Chumbwe said.
And officially defecting to PF, Moonga appealed to Zambians to embrace change and not allow a party like the MMD, which was beyond repair, to continue.
"In MMD if you have to survive, you have to be a liar," she said. "Embrace change with a difference and not MMD to continue."
Moonga said God had a purpose for taking away president Mwanawasa, adding that time had now come for Sata to rule.
Meanwhile, pastor Pule, who also declared his support and endorsed Sata, said he had never supported a loser and he was sure that Sata would win.
"I have never supported a loser," pastor Pule said. "Sata is going to propel this country forward because he is a man of action and of the people."
Other MMD officials who defected to opposition PF include Paul Moonga [Christine's husband], Gladys Phiri (MMD member) and Esther Nakawala.
Labels: DEFECTIONS, GEOFFREY CHUMBWE, MMD, PF
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Nakazwe leads 200 PF members to MMD
By Mutuna Chanda
Sunday September 23, 2007 [04:00]
Former Lusaka mayor Susan Nakazwe yesterday led over 200 Patriotic Front (PF) cadres in joining the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in Mandevu Constituency. Nakazwe immediately declared that PF was not going to win Mandevu’s Justin Kabwe ward 21 seat and that she would make sure her new party won. Nakazwe, was in the company of former John Howard ward three in Chawama Constituency, councillor Boniface Musondamwaume who complained about the way they were expelled from the party.
“We did not deserve to be fired because we were only doing our civic duties. I would like to thank Mr Sata and his shadow cabinet…they should work hard. I would like to thank the PF members for supporting me. The PF of 2007 is not the PF we used to know,” Musondamwaume said.
And in welcoming Nakazwe and her group, MMD Lusaka Province chairman Geoffrey Chumbwe said he would do everything in his power to ensure her stay in the party was comfortable.
He urged the MMD members in Mandevu’s Justin Kabwe ward to choose who they would like to represent them as councillor and forward the name to the party officials.
Nakazwe and Musondamwaume were expelled from the PF earlier this year after they disobeyed party orders not to welcome China’s President Hu Jintao at the Lusaka International Airport during his state visit to Zambia.
Labels: DEFECTIONS, MAYOR, SUSAN NAKAZWE
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