MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya says Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s challenge to call for an early election is baseless because only President Banda is mandated by law to announce the date for elections.

Ms Siliya said in Lusaka yesterday during a press briefing that Mr Sata’s call for elections is retrogressive.

She said President Banda has a bigger mandate to develop this country than listening to Mr Sata.
“Only President Banda has the privilege to announce the date for the 2011 elections because the law allows him to do so,” Ms Siliya said.

Mr Sata was quoted yesterday calling for early elections.
Ms Siliya said, however, that the MMD is not scared because it has more experience in winning elections than the PF.

And PF Matero Constituency member of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe has said it is impossible for the PF to win early elections because the party, in alliance with the United Party for National Development (UPND), has not revealed to Zambians its preferred candidate in the 2011 elections.

Mrs Sinyangwe said Mr Sata is being misguided to think that he can win elections when the PF is on the verge of collapse.

She said Mr Sata’s utterances on early elections clearly show that he is allegedly power-hungry.
“As far as Zambians know, the PF-UPND pact has not chosen a leader despite Mr Sata being ready to win the elections,” Ms Sinyangwe said.

She said Mr Sata’s statement clearly shows that he will not participate in the 2011 elections as a pact representative but as a PF president.
Ms Sinyangwe said the PF is bound to lose more votes than it did in previous elections if an early election is called.

“The PF leadership should put its house in order because there is too much confusion in the party,” she said.

United Liberal Party president Sakwiba Sikota said the opposition political parties have no authority to call for early elections even if they declared themselves ready.
Mr Sikota said only the republican President is backed by the law to call for elections when his five-year term elapses.

Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi said the opposition can only be sure about the date of elections when the draft constitution is enacted because there is a proposed date that specifies when elections are supposed to be held.

Mr Milupi said at the moment, the date of elections can only be known by the President.
And Ms Siliya has said the MMD has officially written to its expelled members of Parliament, George Mpombo for Kafulafuta and his Chilanga counterpart, Ng’andu Magande.

She said the duo was expelled because they brought the name of the party and that of President Banda into disrepute, contrary to the MMD constitution.

“In the letters to Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande, we have indicated that they have been expelled because they failed to abide by the MMD constitution,” Ms Siliya said.
She said the charges against Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande are similar.

“The two failed to uphold the rules of the party and national executive committee (NEC) members felt enough warnings had been given to the duo and the logical thing to do was to part company with them,” Ms Siliya said.

She said Mr Magande did not even bother to exculpate himself when summoned by NEC and Mr Mpombo could not give compelling reasons.
“As far as MMD is concerned, the duo are not our members and anything they say, we will consider it as vuvuzela,” Ms Siliya said.

She said any member of the MMD who brings the name of the President and that of the party in disrepute is not a desirable member of the ruling party.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]

Mr Mpombo said it is too early for him to disclose his next course of action following his expulsion from the ruling party when he has not yet received the letter.

He said he has no idea on the contents of the expulsion letter and that for him state whether he would challenge his expulsion in court would be pre-mature.

On the invitation by the Patriotic Front to join its ranks following is expulsion, Mr Mpombo laughed before saying he would confirm today.

The MMD National Executive Committee on Saturday expelled Mr Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande from the ruling party during a meeting held at State House.

and The Patriotic Front (PF) said the Movement for Multi-party Democracy, MMD, is in a state of confusion.

Commenting on the decision by the party to expel Kafulafuta and Chilanga MMD Members of Parliament from party, PF Vice President, Guy Scott, said it is a sign that the ruling party is embroiled in confusion.

Dr Scott said the ruling party has bitten its own legs and arms by expelling the two parliamentarians whom he says did not deserve expulsion.

Dr Scott noted that the ruling party has de-campaigned itself both in Chgilanga and Kafulufuta constituencies, adding that the PF will scoop the two seats.

He said the expulsions of Mr Magande and Mr Mpombo has been stage managed by the ruling party to bar the duo from challenging President Rupiah Banda for the party presidency at the convention.

Dr Scott was speaking with QFM in an interview in Lusaka.
[ QFM ]

MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya says the MMD will hold its national convention before the 2011 elections contrary to reports in some sections of the media that MMD has no money for the convention.

Ms Siliya said the MMD could not have embarked on elections at the lower organs of the party if it knew that it would not hold the convention.

She said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that President Banda has never announced that the party has no money to hold a convention.

“MMD has only one party spokesperson and those reports that are aimed at bringing the name of President Banda into disrepute as having said the party has no sufficient resources to hold a convention are false,” Ms Siliya said.

She said soon the party will start holding provincial conferences in readiness for the convention.
And Ms Siliya said the expelled MPs are no longer a factor in the ruling party.

She said it is up to the public to judge the two MPs because MMD has parted company with them.

“Whatever Mr George Mpombo is saying about our party does not hold any water because we have shown him the exist door,” she said.

On Sunday, the MMD expelled Mr Mpombo who is Kafulafuta MP and Chilanga MP Ng’andu Magande from the ruling party.

And MMD national executive committee (NEC) chairman for Defence and Security Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha says the current executive of the ruling party will be in office until a new executive is ushered into office.

Gen Shikapwasha told journalists yesterday in Lusaka that it is wrong for anyone to insinuate that the mandate for the current executive has expired because the convention to elect leaders has not yet been done.

“MMD is a party which may have a NEC running until the next convention. That is only when another NEC is put in place,” he said.

Gen Shikapwaha, who is also Minister on Information and Broadcasting Services, said anyone challenging the legitimacy of MMD NEC is wrong.

He said Mr Mpombo has been insulting the President for a long time without remorse.

“Many people have advised Mr Mpombo several times and I am one of the people who have counselled him but to no avail. He wanted to do it his own way,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

[Times of Zambia]

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba’s wife Chama is admitted to MKP Hospital in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area after she was allegedly battered by her spouse in a marital dispute.

Police have since opened a docket against Mr Mwamba. When contacted, Mr Mwamba said he could not comment because he was busy in a business engagement.

According to a medical report signed by a Doctor Lubaki dated September 5, 2010, Mrs Mwamba sustained a cut on her face, bruises on the left and right shoulders, and on the left eye.

The medical report states that she sustained soft tissue injury and her cousin, Charles Mwansa said the family would not allow Mr Mwamba, who is also PF chairperson for elections to visit his wife at the hospital.

“Deep cut on her forehead and general body pains. Fists are alleged to have been used in the act. Beaten and assaulted by a known person,” states the report on the Zambia Police form number 32, which bears the stamp for Woodlands Police Station.

Police officers from the criminal investigations office at Woodlands Police Station recorded a statement from Mrs Mwamba from about 14:00 hours to 17:15 hours yesterday and she struggled to speak because of pain.

Mr Mwansa, who accompanied the police to the hospital, said the family had decided that Mr Mwamba should face the law.

During the fight, Mrs Mwamba was in the company of Reverend Edith Mutale.

Mr Mwansa narrated that when Mr Mwamba started beating his wife, his grandmother Lister Mwansa attempted to separate them but she was overpowered.

After the fight, he took her to the car and drove to Ibex Hill Hospital where she was allegedly beaten again before medical doctors and nursing staff separated them.

They arrived at Ibex Hospital around 14:30 hours where Mrs Mwamba’s family resolved to seek a medical report at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

“But because of the cut on the forehead, she was bleeding profusely and the doctors stitched her face and then she was taken to UTH. It was at that point that we decided to take the matter to the police,” Mr Mwansa said.

He said Mr Mwamba would only see his wife after the court case was over.
Mr Mwamba and his spouse have five children together and have been married for about 30 years.

[Times of Zambia]

MMD Spokesperson Dora Siliya said expelled Chilanga Member of Parliament Ng’andu Magande and his Kafulafuta counterpart George Mpombo were given a chance to exculpate themselves before they were expelled from ruling party.

Ms Siliya who is also Education Minister said Mr Magande did not bother to respond while Mr Mfpombo’s defence was unsatisfactory.

She said this at a press briefing in Lusaka, today.

Ms Siliya explained that Mr Magande and Mr Mpombo were expelled in order to instil discipline among MMD party members.

And Ms Siliya said only President Rupiah Banda has the authority to announce the date for the tripartitie elections.

Ms Siliya was reacting to calls for early elections by Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata.

She said Mr Sata should realise that the MMD has a lot of experience in winning elections.

Mr Sata has been quoted in Monday’s edition of the Post Newspaper as calling for early elections.

ZNBC

Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Central Committee, Chileshe Mulenga has resigned from the PF citing dictatorial and undemocratic tendencies.

Dr Mulenga, who is believed to have been among PF sterwards that crafted the party manifesto, says his resignation is a matter of principle that can not be compromised.

He says he has also declined his appointment as Chairperson of the PF Research Bureau.

Dr Mulenga said he can no longer belong to a party in which its okay to dissolve duly elected constituency committees, for the sake of making greedy political opportunists comfortable.

This is contained in Dr Mulenga’s resignation letter dated 4th September 2010, addressed to PF leader Michael Sata and made available to ZNBC news in LUSAKA Monday.

He said he can not remain in an organisation where the constitution is compromised and dictatorship and misrule are ordained.

Dr Mulenga however, said he will continue to support Zambia’s democratisation through other channels open to him.

ZNBC

The Government has said the U-turn by Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata on mining taxes is a clear sign that the opposition leader is inconsistent on various national matters.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said in Lusaka yesterday that the Government had been focused and consistent in everything it did in the mining industry for the benefit of the miners and the Zambian people.

When the Government in 2008 introduced the windfall tax, Mr Sata was against the idea saying the tax was to blame for the job losses and reduced investments in the country’s copper mining sector.

He said at the time that the tax regime had hiked tax rates in the sector by more than 50 per cent and increased mining costs.

Mr Sata on Friday told Reuters news agency that the Government should restore mining agreements with foreign investors which it cancelled and reinstate tax concessions, in a major u-turn from his previous position.

Mr Sata, previously a strong advocate of higher mine taxes, said the Government should reinstate development agreements it signed with the foreign investors to restore investor confidence and attract further investments.

Some foreign investors such as Canada’s First Quantum Minerals have threatened to take Zambia to court for suspending the development agreements, which waived payment of taxes by the foreign mines for periods of between five to 17 years.

Zambia’s mine taxes include a 15 per cent profit variable tax, 25 per cent corporate tax and a three per cent mineral royalty.

Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale said Mr Sata’s comments were aimed at wooing voters ahead of the 2011 presidential election.

“The PF leader has always advocated higher mining taxes but has now changed…,” Mr Mwale told Reuters.

Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said in April that although the Government was talking to the mining firms on the development agreements, it expected them to accept the existing taxes, especially after Zambia scrapped a controversial 25 per cent windfall tax.

Foreign mining companies operating in Zambia include London-listed Vedanta Reources Plc, Equinox Minerals, Glencore International AG of Switzerland and Metorex of South Africa.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha, who was responding to questions from journalists at Lusaka International Airport, said the Government had proved that its policies were better even if Mr Sata was known for constantly criticising them.

He said the mining sector was booming and the economy in general was growing.
[ Times of Zambia ]

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has challenged expelled Kafulafuta Member of Parliament (MP) George Mpombo and his Chilanga counterpart Ng’andu Magande to prove that they are popular by not challenging the decision to expel them from the ruling party.

And the Independent Churches of Zambia (ICOZ) has said the expulsion of Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande has been long overdue and has advised the former ministers against ‘hanging on’ to their seats through court injunctions.

My Nyangu said if the two outspoken MPs were as popular as they claimed they were, they should have just have resigned on their own since it was clear that they were no longer interested to be part of the ruling party.

On Saturday, MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya announced that party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Lusaka unanimously resolved to expel Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande, who had recently been making incessant attacks on President Rupiah Banda and the MMD.

Mr Nyangu said the MMD was ready to meet Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande in the by-elections once the Speaker, who he said was informed about the expulsions, declares the two se

MMD Masaiti District chairperson Michael Katambo challenged Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande to now contest on the opposition political party tickets.

“Since people like Mpombo boasted of being ready to release political landmines and missiles on the MMD. We are now ready to face Mr Mpombo in the political battle field,” Mr Katambo said.

And the MMD Copperbelt Province said the expulsion of Mr Mpombo and Mr Magande was good riddance.

“The truth of the matter is that whether they go at it as independents or as members of the opposition the MMD is ready to finish them politically,” Mr Chilambwe, who is the provincial chairperson, said.

MMD chairperson of security Ronnie Shikapwasha said NEC had authority to expel the duo from the party.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said Mr Mpombo had been insulting the party and President Banda for a long time, adding that he had no self discipline.

He said several people had advised Mr Mpombo to desist from attacking the party but he refused to heed the advice.

ICOZ president David Masupa said yesterday in Lusaka that the expulsion of the former Defence minister was long over due because he had kept disparaging the party and its leadership.

Reverend Masupa said to prove his popularity, Mr Mpombo should not run to the courts of law to put an injunction restraining the party from expelling him.

“For Mr Magande we can just advise him to form his party so that he can sell his candidature to the Zambians,” he said.

But when contacted, Mr Mpombo, who said he had not received the expulsion letter, said he was ready to face the MMD in a by-election once the Kafulafuta seat was declared vacant by the Speaker of the National Assembly.

He said he would only make a decision after receiving his letter of expulsion.

“We are not going to listen to chaps like Masupa, I haven’t yet sat with my family to decide the way forward, after all I have every constitutional right which should not be interfered with,” he said.

Mr Mpombo said his popularity in Kafulafuta could not be questioned because there was evidence that the people of that area voted for him overwhelmingly.

Mr Magande said he had not received his letter of expulsion and, therfore, did not know the details of the offence he was alleged to have committed.

He told ZNBC News that he would comment after consulting with his constituents.

And MMD Lusaka provincial deputy chairperson Henry Mutiti has said the ruling party was ready for the by-election in Chilanga Constituency, and that his office was already overwhelmed with people seeking adoption as parliamentary candidates.
[ Times of Zambia ]