The MMD says it is ready for tomorrow’s provincial conferences to elect a new party president as some of aspirants expressed confidence of scooping the top party position.The opposition party has opted for provincial conventions to be held simultaneously in the 10 centres, as opposed to holding one national convention which has been seen to be more costly.
National chairman and acting party president, Michael Mabenga declared that all was in place in the 10 provincial centres across the country for the former ruling party to usher in a new leader to take over from Rupiah Banda, who has retired from active politics.
Those contesting the party’s top position are leader of the opposition in Parliament and also Lunte Member of Parliament (MP), Felix Mutati,
former Republican vice-presidents, Nevers Mumba and Enoch Kavindele.Others are Liuwa MP, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Kapembwa Simbao for Senga
constituency, Moses Muteteka (Chisamba) and Kasempa MP, Kabinga Pande.
Mr Mabenga said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that all the seven presidential candidates were ready for the party elections.Mr Mabenga who has been acting since Mr Banda relinquished his position said voting in the 10 provinces would start at 10.00 hours and end at 12.00 hours tomorrow.
“I wish to confirm that all the voting arrangements are in place in all the 10 provinces and here at the party headquarters. All these arrangements have been agreed by all the candidates and voting will start at 10.00 hours and end at 12.00 hours,” Mr Mabenga said.
In an event that none of the seven candidates obtained 50 per cent plus one of the vote,as per requirement of Article 38 (6) of the party Constitution, a second ballot would be conducted between 14.00 hours and 16.00 hours,between candidates that would have received the highest number of votes to determine the winner.
Mr Mabenga, flanked by MMD national secretary, Richard Kachingwe said each candidate had been permitted by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint up to two polling agents at each of the 10 voting centres.He called on the party’s registered voting population of, 1,397 to turn out and participate in the voting process to be monitored by the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP).
Meanwhile, Mr Kavindele said he was confident of winning the election,saying party officials appreciated his vast experience and knew what he could do to change the image of the party.Mr Kavindele said in an interview that he was ready to take-over the party and resuscitate it so that it could be a strong opposition party.
Mr Muteteka separately said that chances of him winning the MMD presidency were very high adding that he had captured all the provinces where he was assured that they needed a youthful leader.
Mr Pande said he was confident of scooping the position because he had done enough ground work.He said on Radio Phoenix on Tuesday that some people had embarked on propaganda and were circulating false rumours that he had withdrawn from the race.
Mr Mutati said the future of the MMD would depend on the ability of the person who will take over the party leadership and was confident he was the suitable leader.
It’s like children fighting for a sweet wrapper or bones – don’t they realise the sweet or the steak was taken by ba Sata on 20 Sept and that will never re-appear to MMD ever again
B Janet naimwe, choose to be a democrat. Cherish multi party democracy. Power corrupts, if unchecked. PF and Sata will do you harm if there are no opposition parties to provide checks and balances. It’s human nature. Sata will do better for Zambia if the opposition is strong enough.
Its gud dat u’ve cum up wth sumthng
Anyway they have got to have something to do to kill time and prevent stress. As a factor in politics I am sure they know they are dead waiting to be buried. Who would in their right frame of mind vote for MMD? May be in 50 years given Zambians penchant for forgetfulness. But even then I doubt that we would be that dumb to give power again to plunderers.
#3, the way things are going in PF, by the end of this year MMD will look far cleaner than PF. Within 8 months people have serious misgivings about PF.
It happened with unip b4 1996 elections but wat folloed? unip is dead.
It’s a mistake to think UNIP is MMD and therefore MMD will die. It wont, just look at PF. where did Sata come from? MMD. Where did Guy Scot come from? MMD? The list is bigger.
In short, there’s no ideological difference between Pf and MMD. In fact Sata left MMD because FTJ skipped him to pick LPM. Not because he differed with MMD ideology or way of doing things.
People in general have no problem with “MMD ideology”.
Remember PF and MMD are basically one.
This is why MMD is the biggest threat to PF.
Good luck!!!
No 4 which people?
Us the somber minded Zambians who are disappointed after voting for pf.
NEVERS WILL CARRY THE DAY, FOR ITS DONT KUTINA ALL THE WAY
Uless who ever is going to win this top position he ‘s going to rebrand the name of mmd.the part is dead.
RB is to blame for what zambians are experiencing today, how on earth can you lose an election wth all the state machinery rallying behind you esp in africa???????
We need a saviour, to save us from these crooks who are raping mother zambia daylight.
I m very happy that you guys have now decentralised your voting for leadership. That is true democracy. Now rid your party of corrupt elements, and characters of questionable morals like Dora $iliya, Nevers Mumba, Mabenga, Kavindele etc. Start working on sound economic and developmental policies. At the rate things are going in the country now, you will soon bounce back to govern.
You see, in my party I m THE leader, members don’t vote or question ME, I tell them who I want to work with – if they don’t like it, tough luck!
My policies are anchored are around the “Donchi Kubeba” philosophy.
cont’d
Aba shaba corrupt??????
cont’d
I would one day promise you things like – 90day theory, more money in your pockets, re-introduction of wind fall tax, clean cities’ streets, revamp medical care facilities, appoint professional civil servants and diplomats, reduce corruption, etc. Though my charater and past record does not speak to most of the above but rather to ruthlessness and corrupt activities during my time in MMD and UNIP, I know people will fall for my rhetoric. After all, a lot of people in Zambia have just gone a bit further than I did myself, grade 9 may be grade 12? They can’t understand the bigger picture.
By the time I m done with this country, either through office term limitation or by a call from above, it won’t be the Zambia you know today.
cont’d
cont’d
For starters, I have deliberately discouraged grooming of my successor – so that when I leave memebers can feel my absence. That time, the country will be so much polarized ethinically and on tribal lines. My friends like Mmembe, Nchito, Mahtani, Mwenye etc will have accumulated so much wealth. They will be NO judiciary to talk of.
That ‘s why I m warning you in the MMD to organise yourselves.
##Starts from here##
I m very happy that you guys have now decentralised your voting for leadership. That is true democracy. Now rid your party of corrupt elements, and characters of questionable morals like Dora $iliya, Nevers Mumba, Mabenga, Kavindele etc. Start working on sound economic and developmental policies. At the rate things are going in the country now, you will soon bounce back to govern.
You see, in my party I m THE leader, members don’t vote or question ME, I tell them who I want to work with – if they don’t like it, tough luck!
My policies are anchored are around the “Donchi Kubeba” philosophy.
cont’d
Who would in his right mind vote for a tribal and regional party like pf? Pf is dead. They are incompetent, liars, illiterates and hardcore regionalists and tribalists. Forza mmd. You are the only national party.
Seems MMD is truly a democratic party. They even have FODEP suppervise their elections. Wow! Impressive.
Nevers Mumba is likely to win this one. He’s demonstrated he is not scared of Sata and PF.
Already, MMD looks like bouncing back at 2016.
I would be for the idea that Felix Mutati wins the MMD Presidency if they are to be a strong political party as well to have a chance to bounce back to government. Though it is not likely to be 2016 but 2021. The only way that MMD can win in 2016 is if PF does not perform to the people’s expectation or if the one who will take over from Sata in 2016 does not seem to be a good candidate for the people of Zambia. But if the performance of the PF is good and they find a good candidate or Sata stands (though would far much older then) people would still vote for PF because of the lack of a good candidate. The best chance MMD had was the last election if they had put Mutati they would still would have been in power.
Personally, I would love Mutati to win but at the end of the day, its all about democracy. MMD has just demostrated this to all of us. May the best candidate win. Good luck to all candidates.
The true democratic process of electing MMD party leader will haunt the rest of Zambian political parties for years to come. They (MMD) may not be in power today but certainly time will come for other political parties to elect their leaders. What process will they use and how many would aspire for that leadership? Just imagine for a minute and let existing leaders of various political parties die, (execuse me for lack of a better term, perish the thought) the likelihood is that all political parties in Zambia would die with their one man centred parties.