Mulongoti, Teta fume
By CHARLES MUSONDAMMD chairman for elections Mike Mulongoti has castigated party leaders who are attacking each other.
And MMD spokesperson, Benny Tetamashimba, is hopeful President Banda will give the party authority to punish some of his appointees who are allegedly undisciplined.
“During the time President Mwanawasa was in office, those who are speaking loudly abused others through their careless utterances. This is on record and they want to continue even in this administration.
“But we don’t want that and they must be reminded that as a party, we have our own mechanisms of resolving internal problems. When we are quiet, they should not think that we don’t have voices…we are just respecting order,” Mr Mulongoti said in an interview yesterday.
He was commenting on press statements attributed to some senior MMD members over internal differences allegedly caused by their association with President Banda.
MMD Katuba member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa was yesterday quoted in The Post newspapers as saying some party members thought they owned Mr Banda, citing Mr Mulongoti, Mr Tetamashimba, and Minister of Tourism, Catherine Namugala.
Mr Mulongoti said when President Banda was elected, he appointed Cabinet to implement the MMD manifesto, his vision, the Fifth National Development Plan, and the National Vision 2030.
“It doesn’t follow that if you held a certain position in the previous administration, you must hold the same position in the new administration. And there must not be jealous and hatred directed at those who have been appointed,” he said.
Mr Mulongoti, who is Minister of Works and Supply, said he found it difficult discussing allegations that he and others thought they owned the President.
He said it was unfortunate and a mark of disrespect for some people to think that way because Mr Banda had his own independent mind.
Mr Mulongoti said every administration had presidential confidants and Mr Banda could not be forced to make everyone his confidant.
Meanwhile, Mr Tetamashimba said it was wrong for anyone to accuse Mr Banda of grabbing the MMD presidency from party national chairman, Michael Mabenga, who was acting in the position after Dr Mwanawasa’s death.
He said this in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday to clarify controversies that have arisen after MMD national secretary, Katele Kalumba, announced that Mr Banda had accepted to act as party president.
Mr Tetamashimba said after Dr Kalumba’s statement, there had been perceptions mostly bordering on lies and misinformation with others claiming that Mr Banda had forced Mr Mabenga out.
“The position of party president is not a casual vacancy, meaning that the position can only be filled at the party convention but the NEC has powers to elect an acting president if the position falls vacant before the convention,” Mr Tetamashimba said.
Mr Tetamashimba said in 2002, NEC forced former President Frederick Chiluba to quit the party presidency for Dr Mwanawasa when the latter became republican President.
He said when Dr Mwanawasa died, nobody became acting party president and nobody could hand over the position to Mr Banda.
Mr Tetamashimba said Mr Banda never accepted the party presidency when Dr Kalumba told him that Mr Mabenga had decided to hand over the position.
He said the President told Dr Kalumba that he would be grateful to NEC if it entrusted him with the mandate of running the MMD up to 2010 when the party would hold its convention.
He said Mr Banda believed that if any party member wanted to lead the party up to 2010 and the NEC thought that person and not him, could lead the party, he had no problems with such a decision.
Mr Tetamashimba said Mr Banda felt he needed to be mandated to organise the party up to the convention.
He said Mr Shakafuswa knew that the MMD could not
punish him for insulting his seniors because of his deputy ministerial position, which is a presidential appointment.
“To punish him, the party needs authority from President Banda as the appointing authority.
It is my hope that the President will give authority for the party to deal with his appointees bent on insubordination and perpetual rudeness,” he said.
He told all provincial leaders to be in Lusaka by February 5, 2009, for the NEC meeting that would take place on February 7, 2009, at State House.
The meeting will, among other things, consider the proposal to appoint Mr Banda as acting MMD president.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
