Members of a faction calling for her impeachment were immediately suspended from the party following revelations that the FDD leader had started manoeuvres to amend the party constitution to pave way for her unconstitutional stay at the helm of the opposition party.
Subsequently, the FDD chairperson for legal and good governance, Happy Chongo, has questioned Ms Nawakwi’s motive in calling for a national policy committee meeting without informing him being the secretary of the committee.
In a statement obtained by the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Chongo said the FDD constitution was founded on the premise of promoting democratic principles and the respect of the rule of law as well as the protection of human rights and freedoms, and as such, it should not be amended at the whims of individuals with the desire to remain in perpetual leadership.
He said the national policy meeting scheduled for today ? at which it is believed the FDD constitution would be amended and formalise the suspension of members against Ms Nawakwi’s attempts to have a third term ? was against the spirit of the party constitution. Mr Chongo said in as much as the FDD constitution provided for amendments, members that were opposed to such amendments should never be victimised for expressing their democratic rights and freedom of expression.
He explained that FDD members who were opposed to the amendment of the party constitution should not be seen as enemies of the party and be targeted for disciplinary action. He explained that the standing committee of the national policy committee comprised seven members to which according the FDD constitution, he as legal and governance chairperson should have been the one to issue a notice for today’s meeting.
Nonsense! Opposition are all bananas, no longevity!
One of the key weaknesses of our constitution is it’s 1000 decibel silence on intra-party democracy.
ECZ should be mandated to monitor democracy in individual parties with each party submitting its constitution to the said governing body.
It is not rocket science – if you can not practice democracy in your own back yard, you can not practice it in the community, let alone at national level.
This fact by itself would disqualify UPND and Edith Nawakwi’s “Nashala neka Party”.
But our democracy has got to grow, has got to progress, not regress into serial defacto one party statehood.
This lack of intra-party democracy is the root cause of the death of all our one man political institutions including UNIP.
Let him who has ears hear.
Who are the FDD presidential contenders? FDD may end up without a President. In fact I only see 2 future presidents, Nawakwi & Inonge. Kambwili should join the FDD race.
It is her party, why do you want to force your way to the party presidency? Look at HH, he has lost many times but he still is the party president and he will be the 2021 party candidate. Why bother?
@Lynch mob…. why on earth should the Electro Corrupt of Zambia meddle in individual political parties constitutions when they themselves smell of corruption? SMH
Whether she remains the president of the party or not, she is no longer a factor in Zambian politics. She stopped being a factor when she allowed herself to be used by Lungu as a door mart in the hope of being appointed as a minister. Let her continue sleeping.
How many MPs and councillors does this party have? Are people just fighting over bones of a former stillborn carcass?
Isn’t it ironic: FDD was borne out of a protest against Chiluba’s attempt at a third term as Republican President (by extension, as MMD President). That is their hallmark along with a few other parties that still have the same leaders at their helm after two terms were depleted. Now, like national constitutions, party constitutions are being assaulted and defiled at will – just like that. Meanwhile, we have hapless MPs deciding the only they will stay awake in parliament is when they start to mutilate the very amendments they said they would entertain outside of a wholesale adoption of the constitution that was well done – no wonder you got confused that Ministers should persist after parliament. Mwe finangwa mwe!
She is the only woman heaLetding an opposition party. Let her continue, ba ke
It’s high time you went Madam. Even Hilary Rodman Clinton recently conceded defeat to an overzealous businessman.
Rather, be gone!
Nawakwi’s lust for power has made her a mentally unstable dictator just like Lungu.
Edith is s hypocrite and by and large Lungu’s surrogate. Let her quit the position
The only parties that ascend to power are those that practice intra party democracy, never mind how they quarrel all the way to the top. That however does not include tribal selection, yes you guessed right, like Hichilema and UPND.
What about those that vote by raise of hands?
So what about the UPND, any plans for a convention? No? Not even an attempt to allow Hichilema to stand for a third term at the head of UPND?
Terrible just worry about the happenings in the PF leave the opposition to sort themselves out without your myopic views;
The question is what is Nawakwi offering Zambian people that she is even thinking of extending her term of office? Absolutely nothing! Let Antonio also have a go! Even if you formed the party once you form it it becomes a public entity
@ Terrible Pf never had a convention under Sata but they won in 2011.
May be you were in Hospital or Outside the country.
The PF had a convention in 2011 before elections.
Kabusha takolelwe bows
@1.1 lynch mob. I agree with you. The only party which practises democracy is PF. Its had two presidents all elected. Other parties have perpetual leaders like upnd since 2001
You are dead in your head. To you Mazoka is still alive and the President of UPND. Go eat PF you hunger stricken
No one voted for Sata at Mulungushi rock of authority was there in 2011 there were no election but selection done by one Sata calling out a list of names.In 2015 Lungu won by rising hands.After chasing all true PF delegates.so what are you saying.
edith no point my sister because FDD does not stand a chance, not in the near future anyway… so why waste your energy. Just leave it for that naive boy antonio or whatever he is called
edith no point my sister because FDD does not stand a chance, not in the near future anyway… so why waste your energy
Pf had a convention even kk attended check your record Sata was unopposed
FDD is also a source of Dictatorship just like PF.
Lynch and Chile HH, Tilyenji and Nawakwi should start preparing their successors.
HH for 2021, NEZ after
NEZ stop making noise or risk being fired. It’s only HH till he dies
The FDD constitution is very particular about two terms for the president.
They condemned Chiluba who managed to get a third term in MMD as a party but was blocked by the same group to change the Republican constitution
How can Nawakwi sink so low as to forget what she said in 2001.
Two terms is two terms, madame. It is time for you to find something to do.
Now if the opposition can ligalize the illegality, how are the going to check and balance for those in government. Lungu wants rape the constitution who is going to stop him? The opposition shame Nawakwi. How are we going to trust you when you form government that you will uphold the law.
HH must allow GBM or Garry Nkombo to stand on UPND in 2021 because he cannot continue being a tonga party candidate from 2006 to 2021 and beyond!!if UPND adopt hh for 2021,then they must as well forget about winning once more!!in 2021,PF may easily lose because life is very hard under PF but only a party or leader with national support can defeat PF and not HH-a well known king of tribal1sm in Zambia!!!many bembas and easterners will still not vote for HH in 2021!!so upnd will continue adopting this loser-hh at their own peril!!
Neither of those two can get even half of the votes HH got in August. Why bother nominating dummies who cannot win an election?
Our politicians in the opposition parties are a bunch of hypocrites claiming they are fighting to defend our democracy in Zambia and yet they themselves have proved to be dictators in their own parties. Just listen to the critic Edith Nawakwi and the bitter HH. When they open their mouths to talk you might be tempted to think they are the true champions of Democracy in Zambia. Nevers Mumba is still claiming he is the president of MMD even after the convention voted for Mutati. Very funny characters kikikiki.
Why are people worried about hh and upnd winning? HH won 2016 general elections and the case is still in courts of law. Wait and see as the truth unfolds!
That’s the note reason they are worried. By 2021 with an utterly devastated economy, PF has zero chance of winning. That’s why PF wants a completely useless UPND candidate against them.
Do not allow her to stand for third term. This woman is a sellout, she almost mislead the whole party for her personal benefit, as she desperately lobbed for a job from ECL. Remember it’s not long time ago. She has no vision for Zambia all she wants is power, without even knowing what she will do with it. Shameless Ngoomwaa.
The 22 senior members of the NMD were expelled from the party for going and speaking against the fork third term bid. Nawakwi was one of them. I don’t think she can sink so low as that. She understands the tenets of democracy. If your time is up you go
Semper in excreta
The way I know mama Nawakwi she cannot be resisting unless there is something we are not being told. Turning to our own party why do we want to do a waking someone sleeping or go get a debt ridden man living with his granddaughters friend and lift them up to presidency. Its very easy if its HH we intend to float let that will come from the party if it is someone else lets go to a convention and choose. Hilary R Clinton lost an election and has addressed her supporters, this HH never. He could have even have told us he was going to make a career of moving from court to court till 2021…Zambia Forward!
I know that both PF and UPND are useless to serve the Zambian people but FDD is a sheer waste of space. Not sure why I am even commenting
Nawakwi, Inonge, Dora are some women politicians you can’t trust they are seller-outs. Nawakwi now is used by PF also just like Mutati who has dumped his party MMD (Where is MMD?). Please ladies and gentlemen don’t trust guys who are not principled if Zambia is to develop and get leaders not politicians of no direction and vision. Where does Inonge stand with the Barotse issue in the Western Province? Let’s wake up guys.
HH did not win the 2016 elections, he lost and he knows it, he is going to the courts to keep his followers occupied so they don’t talk about a convention, if there was evidence of the vote being stolen why not publish it? Obviously there are media houses that can publish that eg the BBC, the fact is, there is no evidence. Cunning Man HH!
FDD there is nothing wrong in amending the constitution.
You may say this and that but I can tell you that this Nawakwi is Very hard working and can employ some of us. So do not insult the crocodile because later you may want to cross the river.
What a pity. Edith may eventually get lost in the political wilderness and end up like Sampa.
SOME PEOPLE THINK LIKE MAGGOTS. WHY SHOULD ECZ be mandated to monitor democracy in individual parties with each party submitting its constitution to the said governing body .WHEN THE INSTITUTION IS A WHITE ELEPHANT WHICH HAS LAMENTABLY FAILED TO EXHIBIT CAPACITY AND CREDIBILITY TO RUN THE ELECTIONS.
ZAMBIANS ARE SERIOUSLY SICK IN THE HEAD AND DO NOT USE THE HEAD TO THINK BUT SOMETHING ELSE DIFFICULTY TON EVEN MENTION HERE.
And it defeats the spirit on which fdd was formed”resistance of ftj’s 3rd term.