Nevers walks lonely path. Tue 25 Mar. 2014 DORA Siliya says Nevers Mumba has failed and that the party will die if no action is taken. And some senior MMD national executive committee members, among them vice-presidents Dr Brian Chituwo and Michael Kaingu, have called for an extra-ordinary convention to elect new party leadership. Speaking at a press briefing held at the party secretariat in Lusaka yesterday, Siliya, who is party spokesperson, said she would not pretend that MMD was not dying. I believe that is why I am not ashamed to stand here and say that we should not allow the MMD to die, said Siliya amid cheers. I read an article yesterday, where people said Dora Siliya, you supported Dr Mumba, so you must apologise. When a woman is entering in a marriage with some man, whether he is Bemba or Tumbuka or Luvale, you have hope that things will work well, isnt it? That, that man is going to look after your mother, isnt it? Dora asked as the audience agreed in unison. Just like in our political party. I am not scared to tell the leaders, all of them, Dr Kaingu, Dr Chituwo that our party is dying and if we keep pretending, it will die and we should all just go home. Siliya said MMD members must be resolved to save the party from imminent death. We, who elected Dr Mumba, should be the first ones to sit with him and say Dr Mumba, this party is dying, people are complaining. You people in Lusaka are in our homes every day, complaining, and I would be unfair as a leader in the NEC of MMD not to hear what you people are asking us every day. Where is Dr Mumba? Where is the party? Why arent you visiting the wards? Why are we losing elections in Mpulungu, UPND are coming number two, us number three? Why are we not winning by-elections? These are the things you are asking us. So should we go to Dr Mumba and tell him nothing is wrong sir, everything is okay? We would be lying, Siliya said. Its not about whether I want to be vice-president or not. We are here to save the MMD. If we all dont do anything, we might just forget the politics and go home and do other things. She said MMD members could not afford to sit and fold their arms, if the party was to be saved. This is why I am here and if it means all of us have to accept that we have... its the provinces who are coming to us and saying they want a convention, and the constitution provides for it, said Siliya. Following Dr Chituwos announcement that provinces across the country were set to hand in a petition requesting the partys highest organ to hold fresh elections to elect new leaders, which they were in support of, Kaingu said all the positions should be re-contested, including that of president. Its for all positions from the president up to the last member. Its a total overhaul, said Kaingu. This is a mature statement and I am sure even our president, when he is done with court cases, we will give him this statement. Kaingu said elections would not be targeted at a particular individual but that all NEC members must seek a fresh mandate from the party membership. It is not only a question of 100 per cent of nothing. I would rather own 10 per cent of something. If we can put somebody here who can win elections and I become a minister or you people are sent... or there is food on the table, then that person is better, he said. Kaingu said it was also unfair for some people to allege that those that had decided to save the party were being bribed by PF. If I had a chat with honourable Kabimba... and I want you to know that what was fundamental about our meeting was about him bringing the constitution, not only releasing it to the President but to Parliament, and I came out clearly, he said. So we will not practice politics where when honourable Kabimba is on a plane, me I must come out. We are MMD but we can still talk to people in MMD, UPND. I dont think doing that is being sponsored. During the same briefing, Kaingu defended Siliya, who was castigated by an MMD member Chiwele Mimisa for attacking Mumbas director of communication Muhabi Lungu in The Post recently. Mimisa wanted to find out why Dr Chituwo and others had been sitting on the same panel as Siliya after she personally attacked Lungu. How does it feel for you presidents to sit with people who are vying for presidency at the same time insulting leaders in the party? We have heard personal attacks in the press from honourable Dora Siliya against Muhabi Lungu. Please, can you put a stop to that kind of nonsense? Mimisa demanded, attracting jeers from other cadres that were gathered. Later Kaingu and national secretary Kapembwa Simbao came to Siliyas defence. Kaingu said: I would not want to fault honourable Siliya or Muhabi. It is all focused on the failed leadership of the party. You see, there are some names which probably may be very unpleasant in the mouth like that of the Die-Hards of our party. As you are aware, its a structure that is not in MMD but it has been tolerated, said Kaingu. And former Solwezi Central member of parliament Lucky Mulusa immediately chipped in and asked Mimisa to withdraw the word nonsense. Kaingu, who continued with his submission, added that if MMD collapsed, the members of parliament in MMD had more to lose than those without seats. Others may just take their suitcases and fly away or do something else but us we are in Parliament…so you cannot say we are kid-boxing with PF, he said. He said MMD wanted a re-birth so that it could have strength to form government again. And Mulusa said MMDs problems needed to be dealt with starting from the head of the party. For me, the view is about the MMD, its about your interests. We are therefore not going to shy away from mentioning the name of our father Dr Mumba if you have to have a party that will give you opportunities, a party that will not discriminate. Even if Dr Chituwo becomes our president, I will talk about him in order to wake him up, Mulusa said amid cheers by cadres. And Dr Chituwo, who earlier read out a statement on behalf of those opposed to the current leadership of the party, said It was true that some NEC members may not want to have an extraordinary convention but that it was a question of choice. If our provinces petition us, we will have no choice. If we dont do that, we will go to any battle divided, he said. You can never win a battle with a divided army. So its not a matter of choice. Otherwise, we will go to the battle with blank ammunition, where they gather you like chickens. Thats it. He said if NEC members re-contested their positions and were voted back into their positions, they would have a new mandate, which would also galvanise team spirit, an element he said was currently missing. Dr Chituwo said he was hopeful that the suggested course of action would help the party to move forward and progress. We are here, some are nominated, some went to the convention under another leader. Clearly, we are saying, we are seeing problems, he said. If others are happy with the leadership, let it be but some of us have not been associated with failures, so we will again come to you to tell you the next course of action. Others present at the press briefing were MMD chairman for agriculture Dr Eustackio Kazonga, acting national chairman Chembe Nyangu, national youth secretary Tobias Kafumukache and Lusaka Province youth chairperson Watson Mtonga. Mumbas special assistant Raphael Nakachinda said the MMD president was not available for a comment.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:50:43 +0000
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