Fri, 08 Sep 2017 10:17:50 +0000
By Annie Zulu
THE Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in Eastern Province has suspended its alliance with the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) but would continue to support President Edgar Lungu until his term expires.
MMD provincial spokesperson Zephaniah Kaleya said this follows demands by the PF in the province to have MMD leader Felix Mutati removed as Finance minister for allegedly being disloyal to the PF.
But PF Eastern Province chairperson Andrew Lubusha said that the PF was not shaken by the suspension of the alliance by MMD.
Mr Lubusha said the ruling party would still remain intact, with or without MMD.
“We are not threatened by their suspension of the alliance, we are still strong and we will continue to serve the Zambian people as the party in power, so nothing will change. Our responsibility is to deliver on our campaign promises to the people and that is what we are concentrating on,” Mr Lubusha said.
He maintained that Mr Mutati must choose between PF and MMD. Mr Lubusha indicated the only way Mr Mutati could fully help the PF in improving the livelihood of the Zambian people was if he joined the party.
He said Mr Mutati had been playing two-faced for a long and that it was now time for him to choose on whose side he was.
“The only thing we are demanding for is for Mr Mutati to give us a clear direction, if he wants to continue with MMD let him do that, but he should not use government resources. Our stance still remain the same, we want to know where his original loyalty is,” Mr Lubusha said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kaleya said MMD was disappointed as they were never engaged before the petition was presented by the PF East leadership to their party secretary-general demanding the resignation of Mr Mutati from his ministerial position.
Mr Kaleya has since called on President Lungu to dissolve the PF provincial committee, if the alliance was to continue.
“We have suspended the alliance with PF in Eastern Province, because of their overzealous attitude. They travelled to Lusaka to embarrass our leader who was appointed as Finance Minister by the President himself without even engaging us.
“The PF committee in the province has become a thorn in the flesh, we feel betrayed by their behaviour. We were in an alliance, if they saw there was a problem, they would have engaged us but they never did. Instead they travelled to Lusaka and embarrassed our leader, which we won’t tolerate,” Mr Kaleya said.
He also charged that the allegation by the PF that Mr Mutati was being disloyal to the PF and President Lungu by secretly revamping the MMD with a mission to destabilise the PF in the province was false.
“Since the convention, Mr Mutati has never done any sensitisation tour to see his organs, he went straight into President Lungu’s campaign. He has never held any meeting regarding 2021 elections, he has been quiet and concentrating on national duties,” he said.
Mr Kaleya however, stated that despite the suspension of the alliance, the MMD would continue to support President Lungu until his term expires.
