Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Confusion continue to rock MMD as three Factions Emerge

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FILE: MMD cadres arive to witness the arrival of Michael Sata's body
FILE: MMD cadres 

THREE factions have emerged in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) over whether the former ruling party should forge an alliance with the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) or the United Party for National Development (UPND).

One faction which is openly aligning itself to the opposition UPND does not want anything to do with the PF.

The third faction wants to oust MMD president Never Mumba because they believe he is arm-twisting President Edgar Lungu into an alliance on condition that he is appointed as a running mate.

But a national executive committee member Malama Sokoni rubbished the ‘running mate’ assertion because no talks had been held with the PF to discuss the nature of the alliance.

Earlier in the week, MMD national secretary Mwansa Mbulakulima announced that the former ruling party at its national executive meeting had resolved to accept President Lungu’s offer to form an alliance following the inclusion of the 50 percent plus 1 clause in the amended Constitution and mandated Dr Mumba to negotiate and report back the terms and conditions.

But embattled MMD national chairman Edgar Keembe, claimed that there was no resolution to form an alliance with the PF.

A statement by the MMD media team dismissed as false Mr Keembe’s assertions whom they accused of wanting the MMD to form an alliance with a different political party.

It was unfortunate they said that a senior member of the party such as Mr Keembe could allow himself to be misguided to attempt to cast doubt on the credibility of the NEC meeting and its resolutions.

The statement accused Mr Keembe of attempting to cause confusion in the MMD on a matter it said was above board, transparent and without blemish.

“To start with, Mr Keembe did not co-chair the NEC meeting as it was singularly chaired by MMD president Never Mumba. It is unfortunate that a senior party member of Mr Keembe’s stature could allow himself to be so misguided and attempt to cast doubt on the credibility of the NEC meeting and attempt to cause confusion on a matter that is above board and transparent,” the statement read in part.

Mr Keembe, however, insisted that he had co-chaired the NEC meeting at which the matter of forming an alliance with the PF was tabled and because of a number of issues that were raised it was decided that it was not appropriate to give an express response to President Lungu’s offer.

He said it was resolved that the MMD remained committed to engaging any other serious political party on grounds of sincerity, mutual respect and fairness.

Mr Keembe said it was his personal view that it was the PF that paralysed the MMD by unlawfully grabbing its vehicles soon after the 2011 general elections, adding that it was unimaginable for the former ruling party to forge an alliance with the ruling party.

“My belief and that of many other members opposed to working with the PF are based on a firm foundation that requires a big hammer to break. How can any normal and party-loving MMD member go to bed with the PF, the party that literally destroyed the MMD?

‘‘Those calling for an alliance with the PF can only be enemies of our party and are peddling personal interest. President Lungu has only sent an SMS to Dr Mumba and has given a condition that Dr Mumba should reconcile with former president Rupiah Banda,” Mr Keembe said.

He explained that it was the PF after winning the 2011 general elections that petitioned all the MMD parliamentary seats with the aim of obliterating the party.

31 COMMENTS

    • Let MMD sort out their own mess first. They should not run to form alliances with any party. They have too much in their own plate to deal with. Further, PF must be really desperate to seek alliance with a party so fragmented as MMD.

    • Nevers Mumba has destroyed the MMD. The MMD will not win any single seat this year`s general elections. What is interesting is that Lungu is so desperate that he can even think forming an alliance with MMD, a Party, whose influence on the voters will be very insignificant in the elections.

    • @Ndobo, you even know MMD constitution, but who is the 3rd leader? We know RB, Mumba, and the new might be Mutati.
      Other hand we welcome Bob Sichinga… Awaiting for Guy Scott.

    • Why is there a “storm in a pail of chibuku??”

      The Registrar of Societies & his Minister have already shown what they can do if a party is disorganised -DEREGISTER IT – hahahaha – DEREGISTER CHAGWA’S FAVOURED PARTY TO TEAM UP WITH!!!
      Who will Chagwa be negotiating with?? Lusambo? Mumba? Mutati? RB? Keembe? Mbulakulima? ichibwato is really sailing stormy waters in a pail of chibuku whilst Chagwa enjoys Jamieson’s whisky!!

  1. This party should just disband. It’s going nowhere in terms of ever winning an election. The factions are a testament to that fact. People are ready to move on, we’re watching a burning up of a Super Nova….well only a small damp squid one. But the the display is as fine as any fireworks. Nothing like a good break up of a malfunctioning party. I reckon most will side with PF because leveraging with PF is very in at the moment!

    • I like the way you try and convince yourself that PF are still a factor. Pay Zambia a visit sometime dude 🙂 Specially the CB particularly Ndola and Chingola and am guessing the whole of Lusaka then fly back and comment again.

    • Am doing just that in a few weeks mate, to register with PF (!) then I’ll post the same again! Things are bad because of economic conditions.

    • You know what Patriot! I visited Zambia in December until January, when you read these online news you would think that PF has done nothing and going into oblivion on the contrary PF is stronger. At this stage I would really love to see UPND go to a convention and see if it would stand if another leader is elected. On the Copperbelt forget UPND apart from the Evangelical church which is obvious, Solwezi yes it’s a UPND stronghold. Let’s wait & see.

  2. Desperate times & desperate moves. There is no difference between what is happening in the MMD & PF. Today president says we going to import Maize, the next day his minster says no. Neither PF or MMD are credible enough to run this country & both have no leadership.

  3. It appears whatever the number of factions,the main issue is which party to be in Alliance with PF or UPND? Jan’15 replayed, slight modification that those who supported Nevers to contest elections then have now resolved to be officially in Alliance with PF,likely those who supported HH wish for an alliance with UPND. Even those fighting for the Presidency only need it for bargaining to gain leverage in negotiating an alliance with either PF or UPND only. Lungu’s call to Nevers to reconcile with RB is a wish to maximise on support from MMD to avoid importing factions into the Alliance. At the end of the day it is sharing of MMD spoils(one with MMD areas with more voters gains),decisions of new voters(most of them young,torn between UPND and Orange) will influence election outcome!!

  4. It will be so unfortunate for our democracy if each party that loses the Presidency goes into oblivion. I would understand if this happened to parties that were formed by individuals who were just after the Presidency. UNIP & MMD were created on the back of some idea & these parties after gracefully handing over the Presidency should have shown resilience to stick in there for the long haul.

  5. Do not be too quick to dismiss MMD.It will have a deciding role in the 2016 elections. So confusion is inevitable as every political force in the forthcoming elections needs MMD Cards in case of a re-run

  6. No Bitter Feels In Politics See Bob Has Gone Back UNPD Wth A Hope Of Bin Pick As A Runmate But Time.MMD Is Not Divid But Its Involve In True Democracy And Pipo Hav Different Views And No Force Matter.

  7. President Lungu has done an “open don’t kubeba ” ploy on MMD. Matters of political alliances are always sensitive and delicate. They cannot be initiated through exchanges of sms messages. If President Lungu was serious about forging an alliance between MMD and PF, he should have written as Party President or better still called Dr. Mumba for discussions instead of going public first. I suspect that the strategy of going public first is aimed at further destabilising MMD before the general elections and it seems the strategy is working. …. watch the space as we near the August elections MMD may go into oblivion! ! Sad.another repeat of the demise of UNIP

    • EL had to use the SMS method to play it same. He does not want commitment to the alliance. He is aware any approach to MMD will be resisted by his own ‘team’ vying the running-mate position. Mumba wants the runningmate position so that in the event (though unlikely) PF wins, he becomes the automatic PF leader in 2021. There is enough competition for this position within PF. Let the parties compete in first round so that they enhance prospects for fruitful negotiation.

  8. Comment: some more popcorn pliz! Let me watch as they destroy themselves in the once strong party,a chance for HH to win

  9. Of course Edgar Keembe and his fellow Tongas will always show sympathy for the UPND, for obvious reasons. Not surprising at all to anyone who knows something about their politics, including the quote system of one senjani. But I wonder how many of them they are in MMD?

  10. Comment: Of course Edgar Keembe and his fellow Tongas will always show sympathy for the UPND, for obvious reasons. Not surprising at all to anyone who knows something about their politics, including the quote system of one senjani. But I wonder how many of them they are in MMD?

  11. And they will soon be in the street to demonstrate that they don’t want Mumba just last night money was changing hands at arcades these are people of F Mutati, a one Christopher Banda is being used to find people his contact number is 0977772882, they are even in process to pay for office space at Chinama hotel.

  12. MMD is finished. There’s no pro-UPND faction in there. Only upstarts will clammer to stand on MMD. Most northerners will go to PF and the rest will go to UPND. Nervous is a selfish fast-talking conman who does not inspire confidence. If somebody else had taken over MMD Presidency and nursed it back to health, there would have been a remote chance of MMD getting back into power. But not with that slimy Nervous charlatan.

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