Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:22:16 +0000
President Michael Sata has been accused of supporting Party Secretary General Wynter Kabimba who has been instigating indiscipline in the party through his handpicked Lusaka Province Chairperson Geoffrey Chuumbwe.
A senior founding member said it was unheard of for junior party officials to chide a senior Minister “but this is only possible because the President has allowed Kabimba to promote indiscipline in the party,” he said
The official was citing the current wrangles in which Kabimba is alleged to be hiring cadres to boost his ambitions of removing Foreign Minister Given Lubinda from his position.
The official revealed to the Daily Nation that the junior members of the party had the blessings from the President to hound Lubinda out of office.
The junior party leaders he said were being instigated by Mr Kabimba so that a way could be cleared for Wynter’s presidential ambitions.
In spite of all the unprocedural Press exposure by Mr Kabimba against Mr Lubinda, Mr Sata had remained quiet, a sign that he was comfortable with what was going on in the party.
“We know President Sata can not disappoint Kabimba for obvious reasons but we want to warn him the he is promoting disunity in the party by keeping quiet.
“Can he come out in the open and tell us what his views are on all the issues that the secretary general has been referring to in the past few months which have put the party in an awkward position.
“We condemn the action by some party members that are being used to denounce senior party officials. We want sanity and if they think Kabimba was a better choice, they have it wrong and really President Sata must sort out all these issues,” party members said.
They disclosed that Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili was next on target because he had shown that he was not in support of what Mr Kabimba was doing.
Earlier yesterday PF constituency chairmen demanded for the resignation of Mr Lubinda from his position as Foreign affairs minister.
The chairmen also said that they would petition President Sata directly so that he could remove Mr Lubinda from his ministerial position because he was a traitor, betrayer and a spy and also said that such a person was a danger to the party and the government.
The chairpersons claimed that they were disappointed with Mr Lubinda’s statement in the named newspaper were he was quoted saying that he would defend his seat in Kabwata constituency if he was expelled from the party.
“Our demand is for Hon. Lubinda to resign with immediate effect because of gross indiscipline. We are warning Hon. Lubinda never ever to report for work on Monday because the youths of this great party will force him out of office.
“This is a timely warning to Hon Lubinda. We are also warning all supporters not to claim that they are PF as PF, we shall deal strongly with such a member. We shall continue demanding for his removal until our demands are attended to,” they said during a Press briefing.
The chairpersons from Matero Morgan Ng’ona, Mandevu Makasa and Forbes Mufwaya from Munali are some that signed for Mr Lubinda removal from office.
