Thursday, March 28, 2024

More MMD provincial chairmen urge the party to find money for the National Convention

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MMD cadres gather at the Intercontinental hotel for the launch of party camapaigns in Lusaka

MORE MMD provincial chairmen have voiced their concerns on the need for their leadership to find money for an extraordinary convention that will usher in the new party president.

They are also calling for the re-introduction of the position of party vice-president, which was removed from the party’s constitution at its national convention in April this year.

Deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu on Monday said the MMD does not have money to hold an extraordinary convention to elect party president Rupiah Banda’s successor. Mr Nyangu said MMD members should allow the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to nominate a leader in an acting capacity in between conventions in line with the party’s constitution.

The provincial chairmen now calling for an extra-ordinary convention are Emmanuel Chungu (Luapula Province), George Kangwa (Central Province), Ezekiel Mtonga (Eastern Province), William Banda (Lusaka Province) and Stephen Mukuka (Northern Province).

They are supporting calls by MMD Copperbelt province chairman Joseph Chilambwe, who has appealed to the former ruling party’s national leadership to hold an extra-ordinary convention at which Mr Banda’s successor will be elected.

Southern Province chairman Edgar Keembe has, however, said the NEC should nominate a leader in an acting capacity before the convention is held. Mr Chungu said in an interview from Mansa yesterday it will be beneficial for the former ruling party to hold an extraordinary convention to elect a leader.

“In the absence of the mini-convention, those who are interested in standing should be given ample time to travel and meet as many people as possible so that they can also listen to what people want to say before a resolution can be passed to the NEC for ratification, but the ideal situation is to go for a mini-convention,” he said.

Mr Chungu said the MMD needs to re-introduce the position of vice-president, which was removed from the party constitution at the last national convention. “We need to normalise that, we should have a vice-president now that we are in opposition,” Mr Chungu said.

And Mr Mtonga said it is important for the MMD to legitimise the position of party president and vice president through the participation of the majority members at a mini-convention.

“No-one should hide behind financial limitations because where people are determined, they can pool resources as party structures and do the right thing. We should not make the same mistakes that have made us lose the elections,” he said.

Mr Mtonga said the position of vice-president should be re-introduced for the MMD to effectively function and rebrand itself now that Mr Banda has announced his intention to retire from active politics.

He said MMD members should ask the NEC to immediately set a date for a mini-convention in line with the party constitution.

And Mr Kangwa said MMD members in Central Province want to participate in electing Mr Banda’s successor through a mini-convention. “We cannot sit only as NEC members to decide who takes over the party presidency because we are few and people may not be kind to us. Our members will think that they are not part and parcel of the leader we will put in office,” he said.

Mr Kangwa said the party president should continue in office until the party secures funding to hold an extraordinary convention.

And the Lusaka Province chairman said the decision to elect a party president should not be left to the NEC alone, but that the majority members should participate in the process.

“We should not deny the general membership an opportunity to decide who should lead them. This time around we are not in government and the best way to go about this is to allow the majority to choose a leader and not to impose a candidate on them,” he said.

Mr Mukuka said NEC can nominate a leader in an acting capacity, but that a convention should be held to elect the party president. “Our president, Mr Rupiah Banda, has done a lot to take us where we are today and he should be commended for that,” he said.

But Mr Keembe advised MMD members not to be in a hurry to elect Mr Banda’s successor. “Let us take our time, there is a constitution which provides that the NEC can sit and appoint a leader in an acting capacity.

“We don’t have money to start going for a convention. We have to go back to our structures to establish how many of our members have defected and those that have remained before we can think of going to a convention,” he said.

Early this week, Mr Chilambwe said the party should find money to hold a mini-convention to ensure that the majority members participate in choosing Mr Banda’s successor. But Mr Nyangu said MMD members should look at the cost implication, which the former ruling party cannot afford.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

31 COMMENTS

  1. As a staunch member of my beloved party, I support this call by our provincial chairmen.

    Many people don’t realise just how large a political Tsumani the 20 Sept elections loss was. It was in every sense of the word not only to MMD but to the entire country.

    The political landscape in Zambia has radically changed forever. If there were any doubts about Zambians belief that they were the bosses and can vote anybody out, this was dispelled.

    Zambians are now confident and I see this PF party making so many errors and even now sounding like some of our old politicians. I don’t see them lasting two terms.

    This is an opportunity for us to regroup and rebrand and take on these guys. They have a loft agenda they wont meet. and Zambians will vote them out.

    • Your comments are always about staying in power…start thinking SERVE…you are supposed to be servants! Anyway, kicks of a dying horse!!!

  2. MMD will not bounce back. What errors are you talking about? You forget the endless errors your party made while in Govt!

  3. MMD just like UNIP, Tonga tribal party, is dead and buried, PF is here for another 3 terms this gives ample time for a real party to emerge and bond with the people

  4. This party is gone, In their dreams that they think it would bounce back to power, Youth MMD cadres, just form a new Young at heart Youth party with passion for Zambia. Call it YMD (Youth Movement for democracy)

    MMD has no Money, Corrupt Leaders infiltrated by the likes of William Banda?? What a Joke. Next Elections will be the end of MMD. If it does not disintegrate before then and join UPND or UNIP

  5. Form another party or rebrand MMD and appoint William Tekele Banda as our President. Mukala pumwa pefye!! MMD is dead

  6. Too bad that MMD never thought of saving when they stole and misused public funds and now they are desperately searching for money..Too bad for u misusers and your father has retired because he is hopeless!!! 

  7. @ 1,you are absolutely right but furthermore people like william banda must be expelled from the party not later than tommorrow.before you start branding william banda must go or else no zambian will have confidence in the party

  8. If the MMD constitution allows for the NEC to appoint an acting president in between national conventions, why can’t these MMD provincial chairmen respect that? If they do not trust their NEC let them call for the amendment of this clause in the constitution so that only a national convention can elect a president.

  9. yaba..MMD do the right thing and get your party back ..don’t accept to be led by failures..chembe nyangu lost ..let Prof.Lungwangwa take it up as president..

  10. Just sell the party to HH. I am sure HH is salivating over such developments and he has the money so why not buy the broke MMD. I end here!

  11. Isn’t it amazing that for a party that has been in existence for 20 years there is no obvious successor? Now names like Pande, Prof Lungwangwa. Mutati are coming up. These to me are not politicians but technocrats who lack the much needed political skill of mass mobilisation nor are they visionaries. Looks like the days of MMD are surely but slowly coming to an end like UNIP.

  12. u mean after clothing all street lights with citenge in town just 2 months ago the party is broke!holding a nation convention is not a child’s play let NEC HELP

  13. Yes Italian Bunga Bunga (Original) MMD can come back, MMD will come back, yes we can……..Its important that a new young,visionary leader is elected by the majority of MMD membership. We agree with the provincial leaders in calling for this min convention to elect party president and the vp. MMD Bootlicker is spot on that a void has been created in the political arena of Zambia. Yes there is a PF govt but so far has failed to register any impression to meet Zambians expectations. Pf ha fallen in the shadow of MMD. However, we are rebranding the party, reengineering its out look with new leadership and new thinking with innovative competency embracing complex management values targeting the ever changing geopolitical landscape at national, region and world over. That will take a long

  14. before PF can come close as they cut and paste MMD manifesto and economic development plans. O! Italian Bunga Bunga where have you put Xaviel Chungu as PS and ‘ve you got your appointment? You could do better than Chungu out of all PF membership Chungu who Zambian history records that he ran away in the world and lived as a fugitive, sneaks into the country on a fogged passport and masquarades as an innocent MMD member misleading RB. Chungu plundered Zambia’s money in the Zamtrop(security services of Zambia) account and injured so many Zambians. To day PF rewards him with a PS post. What a shame!. PF has let down Zambians just likewhat Chiluba did. This defines the rationale for proper MMD to come back and justifyably so.

  15. MMD leadership dont want to part away with any more money.Baleyakana ishashalapo baswaini coz nabomfwa ati HH alebapoka position together with the opposition.

    Let them just plead ku Police bababweseshe inchinga bayibile.They can sell and have a kama Useless convention.

  16. I think these guys can easily come back into power if they play their cards right! The ruling party does not seem to know what is going on, if ever there was a time that Zambia was in free fall aka auto pilot, it is now!

  17. Chongwe MP candidate for UPND/MMD Ambassedor Adrian Bauleni has a good chance of beating the incumbent Sylvia Masebo who is his neace. The people of Chongwe need fresh blood. Masebo has been in government b4 but what has she done for the people of Chongwe. I know Mr Bauleni. He is a man of his word. I hope he wins the seat and goes to parliament to represnt the Soli people.

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