FORMER Defence minister and Kafulafuta Member of Parliament (MP) George Mpombo yesterday dared the MMD to expel him, promising to give the ruling party a tough time in a by-election.
But MMD deputy national Secretary Jeff Kaande challenged Mr Mpombo to resign on his own if he was a courageous person.
“Let him resign, why should he wait until he is expelled? If he is courageous enough let him resign and we shall take him on in a by-election if that is what he wants,” Mr Kaande said.
Mr Mpombo, who was suspended by the Copperbelt party leadership on Monday, told a Press briefing in Ndola yesterday that the suspension had not bothered him.
“I still maintain my stand that leaders should not be put in office through acclamation and NEC has no mandate to forgo the constitution and since I respect the constitution, I remain unmoved. I am not bothered in the slightest. In any case, the whole thing has rejuvenated me,” he said.
Mr Mpombo said he would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and that he still did not respect the suspension announced by Copperbelt MMD provincial chairperson Joseph Chilambwe, which he said was “pregnant with serious party repercussions on the MMD on the Copperbelt”.
He said his insistence not to recognise the suspension was not a sign of being stranded, neither did it mean he had been placed in an awkward position.
“And if they insist and force a by-election, then I will be forced to re-contest the Kafulafuta seat either as an independent or on the ticket of any friendly forces that will approach me, otherwise, I should clearly state here that I have no intentions of resigning from the MMD because this will be tantamount to chickening out. I want to continue fighting from within,” Mr Mpombo said.
He accused the national chairperson Michael Mabenga of destroying the party in Western Province and that the Mulobezi MP now wanted to get credibility by judging the situation on the Copperbelt.
He said Mr Chilambwe had no mandate to suspend him.
Mr Mpombo said he would remain firm because there should be no compromise over democracy and that the question of the convention was non-negotiable.
“I am not shaken and if Mabenga wants to go ahead and expel me, the party will meet political Armageddon,” he said.
Mr Mpombo said he received several phone calls from the MMD national executive committee (NEC) members stating that Mr Chilambwe had erred in suspending him and that the people in Kafulafuta were actually annoyed with what was going on.
He said “mishandling” Kafulafuta would be suicidal for the MMD because it would be used as a launch pad to the fall of the ruling party.
But Mr Chilambwe yesterday insisted that he had the mandate to suspend Mr Mpombo and urged him to read the MMD constitution thoroughly.
“Tell Mr Mpombo to read his MMD constitution, I have the mandate to suspend him,” he said.
Mr Chilambwe said the MMD constitution gave him the authority to ban Mr Mpombo in an event that his constituency did not initiate the suspension exercise.
He said the party would give Mr Mpombo a chance to exculpate himself because MMD was a party of rules which would not expel anybody without giving him chance.
He, however, said should Mr Mpombo fail to exculpate himself or follow party rules, the provincial executive would recommend his expulsion to the NEC.
“Those are last kicks of a dying horse, I was hoping he would leave the party honourably by resigning and stand for an election on another party but it seems he is not ready to do that,” Mr Chilambwe said.
[Times of Zambia]
Share
25 COMMENTS
Comments are closed.
Read more
Zambian politics as usual. Expel Mpombo and don’t protect the PF rebel Mps so that we go for by-elections and we see who is popular since you can’t tolerate opposing views.
Atase! kwati fyaiche.
Mr Mpombo do you seriously care about the people of kafulafuta, or is this criticism or reaction towards your party which is mmd, based on an honest difference of opinion, devoid of any emotional motivation! or is it purely an ego issue.
Mutamfyeni umwine naipelesha fi MMD naimwe
We are now spending a lot on By – elections than developmental activities,. Expelling people in MMD has become a routine. please spare the money for developmental activities.
whose is benefiting from all this bull5h!t? I am too sick of MMD including Mpombo.
The question which needs answers is: Is what Mpombo is calling for against the MMD constitution? Why should pipo calling for a STRONGER democracy being punished? Go right ahead and expel him and we adopt him and we win as PF/UPND pact
Well, Kasama has shaken Kanitundila to very very core of his being, and knowing the regional voting pattern he has engineered though his tribal bigotry, the MMD will be trounced in any subsequent Kafulafuta by election. The MMD is now like Mugabe’s Zimbabwe where Morgan and his MDC have disengaged from the government triggering a paralysis. Watch what will happen now, they will not expel Mpombo fearing the loss of by election could trigger a torrent of “mitundo” that could drown the MMD. So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Nyamasoya’s auto pilot administration.
I hear HH is so worried Kanitundila will appoint Saki to replace Kunda and then Saki will as VP teach HH a kang’oto lesson. Well, maybe he also knows Kanitundila is going to die before 2011 landing the hot chair to Saki. Awe sure, this is HH’s agony! Tribal bigotry also sometimes, ilaletelela.
MMD stands for Mwadya Mweka Daddy. It does not make sanse that whole whole bunch of MMD is fighting against an individual instaedy of consetrating on serious Zambia problems. Joseph Chilambwe you are afailure. You failed in Roan and Kambwili won you with land slide victory without even campaigning. We know you Chilambwe that you are related to Moreen Mwanawasa that the reason Mwanawasa favoured you with ministerial position, but now since Mwanawasa in no more, you are to the side Banda with idiologies which you know Mwanawasa wouldn´t have condoned. Joseph you are abig bootlicker and a big joker. Come 2011 kanitundila is going back ke Farm as headman, what of you Chilambwe?
Pa Zed…!! Aikona mwe….!!1
saki will not pose any threats at all and more all over he is not even from balotseland. They are just finishing him these mmd chaps.
Ba MMD-thieves, mpombo has dared you …what are you waiting for ??? Expell the guy. I have never seen and heard of a person who is a problem to a party being pleaded with to resign instead of a party firng him. This is a sign that MMD is mu doti bane. They dont know what to do next. Now they will oppoint KAMBONGOLO as vice president so they win thehearts of the diasporans. hahahahahahahah MMD is finshed.
It amazing how funny that a few weeks ago when a divergent view was been raised in the PACT, we bloggers were quick to point out that those views had been bought by MMD (sponsored by MMD to confuse the PACT). Now my question to you all is who has bought Mpombo, now that he has a divergent view from his party (MMD) has the PACT bought him? Or could it be that these are Mponbo’s own views? Think about it my fellow bloggers. Lets allow divergent views in Zambia for democracy to prevail.
Spineless MMD NEC cannot expel Mpombo as he is bigger than Rupiah Banda.
We would like to see the NEC expel Mpombo so that the PF “REBEL” MPs can equally be sorted out.
Come on Kaande and Mabenga, don’t behave like spineless chickens- show us your authority if you have any. Or is it that RB holds both of you by your b…….s and you cannot make any decision without authority of your “nominated” party president?
No wonder Mpombo is able to drag the MMD in the mud and still come out clean.
Iwe Chikala Mpombo shut up sonafabitch. You resigned palobe. Whats the problem now.
Its not democratic to be expelling or asking staunch MMD members with divergent views. This By Election will be a waste scarce resources and not good for the MMD. MMD has reached a crucial phase and needs many members otherwise hoping for the PF-UPND Pact to crumble will not help matters. The MMD NEC and entire membership should be concerned how they are going to create a winning formular in the event that the PACT does not crumble. The bells are ringing louder and clear and nobody seems to care. There is a lot of madness in the MMD. Insted of getting organised everyone is busy making retrogressive statements.
For the first time the MMD is scared of expelling someone. Bane, the writing is on the wall. If I was an MMD MP, I would jump out before the ship sinks. I even doubt these guys will reach 2011.
Mpombo is a very special man, so special he must not be fussed about. Remember people! this is the man who lamentably failed to run ministry of energy. Say what you want but he is in a situation where he could easily go on messing things up because he relying on the pity of the masses, he now appears as if he is some sought of a sacrificial lamb. NEWSFLASH: He is not. Lets not sensationalise this man. He is neither an achiever nor an inspiration.
oh! and about the MMD: its a very tired utensil, hence it needs replacement.
#17, THE OBSERVER, there are no more resources to waste as Kaanitundila has already seen to that. He is the one wasting thelittle resources left on his meaningless trips and jaunts aborad at every excuse! How come he has resources to fly around and no resources to even hold a convention so that he is properly elected or rejected?
Bane ; Ifilechitika pa zambia kuti wa papa ! Ine kuno nde pukunya fye umutwe. Fya bulanda sana. RB I dont know where you are taking the country to. Which direction you are taking us to.
Things are not moving the way they are supposed to move. This is total failure you need to accept it.
This is a total absence of seriousness on the people entrusted with the responsibility of running our country. Mpombo was a very senior minister. He is proud to talk about a by-election in his constituency! How much money do we as a country waste on these useless by-election? Is he really serious?
Mpombo is a demagogue who those of us supporting the Pact will do well to advise it not to accept the likes of him. He is justing trying to prolong his so far useless political career.
Blive me, this is a kinder garden game, RB is as same as Hitler or Mussolini, he thinks he is always right. he wants to be treated like a Czar son entering St petersberg in the vatican