Liato steps down

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:10:21 +0000

FORMER Labour Minister in then opposition MMD Austin Liato has accused current leader Nevers Mumba of pulling the party into a vacuum and will consequently run MMD aground.

Mr. Liato said at the rate Dr. Mumba was going, he will shut MMd’s dreams of coming back into power.

Announcing his stepping down from party activities as demanded by Dr. Nevers Mumba last week Mr Liato said he would not argue or challenge Dr. Mumba on his decision but would allow the MMD leadership operate in the manner it wished to run the affairs of the party.

He said it was sad that the MMD’s NEC did not sit to make such a resolution as attributed to Dr. Mumba but a few selected individuals recently held party retreat going against the party constitution to force him out of the veep race.

“I dont want to challenge the decision they have made, I think that Dr. Mumba who is the MMD president shoul have the leverage to run the party the way he wants. The comments I am making are not a sign of bitterness or trying to go against the decision they made,” said Mr. Liato.

Mr. Liato dreams to contest for the position of party Vice president were shattered after Dr. Mumba proposed that all those that have been convicted on corruption alllegations or charges should step aside from the leadership of the party.

“Notwithstanding that I am not going to challenge them it is ok, let them do what they want to do and best for the party. I am also aware that many people in the party wanted me to contest the position of party Vice president,

“It is not one province it the leadership of the party at grassroot levels who wanted me for the position of vice president. They pressured me to contest but NEC have felt that I am not needed in the party and I have to greciously step down,” he said.

Mr. Liato said the MMD leadership should learn to respect the views of the general membership rather than dragging the party to the direction they want to.
He said Dr. Mumba if not careful would run the party into nose-diving, which would injure the party.

“This decision will result in mass exodus that will likely cripple the party at all cost, because the people whose felling are being overridden, whose feeling are being over looked and not respected will be very frastruted and when they are frastruted they will leave the party and when they leave, the MMD will go into political exintiction,” said Mr. Liato.

He said the action to stop the will of the people to prevail was the political extinction of the MMD in the selction of party leadership.

“From where I stand I see leadership elsewhere. Let me take this opportunity to thank all the members of this party for showing confidence in my leadership, I thank all those who appreciated my effort and I want to encourage them that nothing is lost at all, we shall find a common direction soon,” he said.