MMD Lunte member of Parliament Felix Mutati resigned as leader of the opposition in Parliament because fellow party MPs had allegedly started collecting signatures to petition his removal from the position.
Mr Mutati said in his resignation letter to party president Nevers Mumba and copied to MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe that in his view, the move embarked upon by fellow MPs was disruptive and served to divide the former ruling party.
“As you are aware, over the past few months, a significant number of my fellow MMD members of Parliament have been going around collecting signatures with the view to petitioning the party to have me removed as leader of the opposition in Parliament,” reads a copy of the letter of resignation obtained by the Zambia Daily Mail.
On Friday, Mr Mutati resigned his position during an MMD national executive meeting held at Courtyard Hotel in Lusaka. Dr Mumba has since accepted Mr Mutati’s resignation as leader of the opposition in Parliament.
He said after looking at the reasons that Mr Mutati had given, he felt it was in order for him to accept the resignation. “I did on behalf of the NEC accept his resignation. The important fact is that honourable Mutati is one of our senior members of our party. He continues and pledged his commitment to the party is unwavering,” Dr Mumba said.
But Mr Mutati says in the letter of resignation that he believes that an effective leader of the opposition must first draw support from his own party before he can seek support from the other MPs in opposition in Parliament.
Mr Mutati says politics of insistence and polarisation should not have a place to ensure progress and unity in the party. “Being committed to the founding ideals of the MMD, I hold the view that politics of insistence and polarisation should have no place in the furtherance of progress, unity and the manifesto of the party,” he said.
Mr Mutati says his resignation should help the MMD members work together and concentrate on other important issues.
“I believe that by stepping down, we will work as a stronger team within the MMD focussing on core issues that an opposition party should be addressing itself to on behalf of the people of Zambia rather than being diverted to discussing self-serving politics,” he says.
He says he will remain grateful to MMD and other MPs in the House for the support and honour conferred on him to serve as leader of the opposition since the beginning of the 11th session of the National Assembly.
Mr Mutati says he will remain committed to the ideals which are aimed at uplifting and empowering millions of Zambians.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
what do you expect from a nyamulenge?
I’M NOT AN MMD FUN BUT THE REASONS BEHIND HIS RESIGNATION ARE INHUMAN. MUTATI IS ONE OF THE CREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LEAD THEIR PARTY TOWARDS SUCCESS. BUT BECAUSE OF SELF AMBITIONS, SELFISH MP’S DESIRE TO LET DOWN EVERYONE WHO THEY THINK IS A THREAT. WELL, THIS IS A STEP TOWARDS DOOM FOR MMD.
I once wrote to say Mutati is but an asset to this country and him still wanting to sit at that time under MMD ticket was but wrong move now he has seen it….. I wish if hatred was not part of politics the President would replay Bob Sichinga with him…… But hey that is why it known as dirty game I suppose….killing talent like this when Africa has limited of it takes us back 5 years over and over again
What is the point of holding elections if members of the losing party simply move to the winning party and continue ruling?! Think before you blog. Mutati and MMD were rejected by the Zambian people.
Just join your prefered party PF Felix not this nonsense you are claiming after being defeated for the Presidency.African politicians should learn to accept peopkes will.
Old politics. Same like RB when he took over – chasing all challengers. The result was slow death of MMD. Now Nevers is driving the last nails in MMD’s coffin. MMD rest in pieces.
MR FELIX MUTATI OUR PF BOAT IS SAILING SMOOTHLY AND YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JUMP IN AND SAIL WITH US AND CONTRIBUTE YOUR SKILLS TO DEVELOPE ZAMBIA RATHER THAN WAITING FOR 2016. ELECTIONS.ITS BETTER FOR YOU TO BE IN RULING GOVT THAN BEING AN OPPOSITION LEADER WHERE THERE IS NO FUTURE
Please Mutati there is still space in the boat. MMD is like a lost sheep now.
[-( Webo ingen mwamuko wa bwato
He is one of the credible leader in MMD unfortunately he cannot work with the Likes of Mumba and all the corrupt MMD MPs, Join PF and let the clock fail off the wall. What a shame that MMD will end in such a way.
useless politicians..selfish..
GK was defacto leader of the opposition. Mutati is not a politician. He is more a technocrat. He has done well to resign. Even though he is a senior member in MMD, politics are not his strength. He’s in the same mode as Alexander Chikwanda, Situmbeko, HH, Chipimo, and that other finance minister we had. They are pretty good technocrats and an assert to the parties and to Zambia. But they are not politicans. Truth be told.
You are right ICe ROAD TRUCKER.It seems you watch a lot of History channel and Discovery Channel.
dollar
Spot on. Love documentaries.
Mutati a technocrat……….. LMAO
Why should we be sacarstic?And what do u gain?
This is Africa at its best driving it’s brilliant sons out!Mutati is a technocrat but he’s leant politics as well. Why he had been hounded out is because he saw the pitfalls of the MMD during it’s rule and kept zii the others know the truth but keep denying the obvious and have won a following based on the persecution syndrome to them MMD was completely honest and all cases an courts are imaginary!
For those that blindly support Mutati,you may want to follow up how he left ZESCO!
Good riddance. Felix is compromised and unsuitable for the role of Leader of the Opposition. Let him just come out in the open and join PF instead of hiding behind a smoke screen.