Save FDD plans own convention

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 10:12:49 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

THE newly established ‘‘Save FDD Committee’’ is raising money for the party to hold a convention since the top leadership seems reluctant to do so.

And the committee was in a hurry to unite and bring sanity in the party following the divisions sparked by FDD president Edith Nawakwi’s decision to go for a third term, committee spokesperson Yotam Mtayachalo has said.

Mr Mtayachalo said the Save FDD Committee was not opposed to the idea of the party holding a convention.

He told a press briefing at Protea Tower Hotel in Lusaka that the committee’s main concern was for the party to conduct free, fair and credible elections at the convention in accordance with the party constitution.

Mr Mtayachalo disclosed that the committee had constituted a fundraising team to source funds for the party to hold a convention.

He said that the committee was also fundraising with the hope that it could supplement the efforts of the party secretariat in mobilizing funds for the holding of a convention.

Mr Mtayachalo said that it was unfortunate that the FDD leadership was announcing more illegal expulsions and suspensions at a time when they were supposed to be mobilizing.

“We are fundraising so that we can have a convention as soon as possible since the secretariat is saying that they don’t have enough. We can also raise money and hold only one convention where our members as outlined in the party constitution will attend,” he said.

Mr Mtayachalo reiterated that it was inconceivable that a party that poorly performed in the last general elections with a paltry 2,000 votes could have ‘‘the audacity to expel members as though it was dishing out candies’’.

He said that the FDD should at this time be holding on to members at all cost so as to survive and restore prospects of performing better in future.

“What is happening in the FDD are machinations to suffocate dissenting views and hold on to power undemocratically. But I can assure you that all these are the last kicks of a dying horse,” he said.