Nawakwi butchering democracy Chifumu

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 10:27:36 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

DEMOCRACY is being butchered in the FDD because party president Edith Nawakwi is abrogating the party constitution by applying gimmicks that will see her hold on to power forever even when her time is up, says Chifumu Banda.

Mr Banda said that Ms Nawakwi had been ignoring provisions in the party constitution in order to move her personal agenda of holding on to the party presidency.

He said at the launch of ‘Save FDD Committee’ in Lusaka yesterday, which was graced by some district and provincial chairpersons of the FDD, that FDD party president had been hand-picking people to be in the National Policy Committee (NPC).

Mr Banda, who was recently expelled as FDD vice-president, noted that Ms Nawakwi had been illegally suspending people and avoiding to hold a convention so that she could secure a third term.

He explained that president Nawakwi was not eligible to stand for a third term because the FDD constitution only allowed for two consecutive five year terms.

Mr Banda, who is national chairperson of the ‘Save FDD Committee’ said that democracy was being butchered in the FDD because Ms Nawakwi was abrogating the party constitution by applying gimmicks that would see her hold on to power forever.

“Ms Nawakwi is now choosing who she wants to work with, she wants the party constitution to be amended in her favour to stand for a third term,” he said.

Mr Banda called for dialogue between all members of the party to save it from collapse.

Meanwhile, Save FDD Committee national coordinator Lawrence Mwelwa said that the party did not recognise the expulsion of Mr Banda because it was against the party constitution.

Mr Mwelwa explained that it was only a national convention that was mandated to suspend or expel a senior member of the party.

He said that the only agenda of the committee was to ensure that the party was united and operating according to the party constitution.

Mr Mwelwa disclosed that the committee had also come up with a subcommittee charged with the responsibility of mobilising funds to hold a convention as soon as possible.

He reiterated that the current party leadership lacked transparency in the way they had been handling party fund.

Mr Mwelwa challenged Ms Nawakwi to produce audited accounts on how the party funds had been utilised in fulfilment of the party constitutional requirement.