SOME MMD members of parliament have threatened to sue their president Dr Nevers Mumba if he continues to refuse to hold convention
The MPs said the decision by the MMD national executive committee (NEC) meeting on January 30, not to hold the convention is unconstitutional, selected members of parliament of the former ruling party have charged.
The MPs have demanded that the decision should be reversed forthwith failure to which, they would take legal action on the matter. Group spokesperson Prof Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the decision did not only disenfranchised many members of the party who would have wished to contest any position of their choice but had wantonly been disrespectful to the constitution of the party.
And MPs led by Lunte Member of Parliament Felix Mutati told journalists in a press statement that decision not to hold a convention this year was not only a violation of the party constitution but that of the republican constitution which was founded on the values of democracy and constitutionalism.
Prof Lungwangwa said political parties were expected to adhere to the values stated in the constitution and acting to the contrary was a violation of the republican constitution.
He said the MMD constitution in Article 9 (a) stated that a member of the party had a right to demand the fulfilment of what was enshrined in the constitution.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves with the decision taken by NEC not to hold the party convention this year. We see this as unconstitutional and therefore illegal,” he said.
Prof Lungwangwa said the MMD members of Parliament were of the view that the current leadership of the party was deeply riddled in unconstitutional handling of the affairs of the former ruling party.
He warned that if left unchecked and uncorrected it would lead to the demise of the MMD.
“We therefore call upon all members of the party to unanimously demand for the convening of the party convention before April 2016,
“ This is the constitutional right of all the members of the party as enshrined in the republican constitution which states that ‘A political party shall promote and practice democracy through, regular, free and fair election within the party,’ article 60 (2) (d) ” Prof Lungwangwa said.
He said regular elections in the case of the MMD as set out in its constitution meant party convention every five years including elections for elections to vacant positions.
“This is the benchmark of the MMD intra party democracy which unfortunately Dr Nevers Mumba has deliberately decided to destroy as President of MMD,” he said.
Nevers Mumba’s tricks of playing hide and seek with Edgar Lungu has put the MMD on a supersonic speed towards its grave.
Nevers you see? The fruits of going to bed with the devil!!! You thought you were clever sharing those texts??
MMD will be more divided in this year’s elections than it was in Jan, 2015 elections. It’s MPS against NEC. I foresee majority MPS supporting UPND in August 11, 2016 elections while majority NEC members supporting PF…. The question is who will benefit more in these MMD wrangles between PF and UPND
I thought these guys run away and campaigned for HH. Who doesnt know that they are fighting for HH?. Bamutati stop being used. Zambians have respect for you
Which Zambians iwe?? Leka uku tu bepesha!!
Better to leave Dr Mumba and other NEC members to PF the least go to winning team, this wrangle will continue to disturbalise the part in short MMD is finished with BA MUMBA
Schemes of Scared little men who fear a Pact between the PF and MMD. The idea is to cause confusion so that the pact doesn’t work. The first step for Dr Mumba is to publicly reconcile with RB. Then the scared little men’s schemes will fall flat.
Yea as the Americans would say “sue his a..”
MMD will emerge the strongest opposition party. PF are the ones on their deathbed.
Why are northerners / easterners so forgetful? Between 2001 – 2008 people from these two provinces were arrested and persecuted while Mutati and Lupando looked the other way. These two are not strangers to being Judas Iscariots. This time around the tormentors and persecutors have metamorphosed and are all in UPND. HH has promised to give them instruments of the state to continue tormenting anyone they deem an enemy of the cartel. God forbid. Northerners / Easterners do you remember the task force on corruption?