By ADRIAN MWANZA
A THREE way existential crisis has gripped the Patriotic Front.
While the Central committee has decreed a convention for June next year, impatient youths want an expedited one in January to root out all the central committee members blamed for the August 12 election loss while grass root members have demanded that Chishimba Kambwili immediately takes over the mantle of leadership.
Chishimba Kambwili supporters have threaten to cause “”havoc”” unless their demand to have him installed is implemented.
Lusaka Province Youth Chairperson Kelvin Kaunda one of the proponents of the expedited convention said there was need to have a complete overhaul of the MCC because they were the ones responsible for the party’s decimal performance in the just ended August 12 elections.
Mr Kaunda said that he saw no point in maintaining the MCCs that led the party in a ditch and that there was need to usher in people with fresh ideas that could steer the party to greater heights.
Members, he said, were willing to raise the K2milluion estimated to be the cost of holding the convention.
‘’It’s unfortunate that people want to cling to positions when they failed to deliver which resulted in the party losing the presidency,’’ he said.
However, in an interview yesterday, PF vice president Given Lubinda said the PF extraordinary convention that the party will hold in June next year was to replace the President Mr. Edgar Lungu.
Mr Lubinda said that the party would only usher in the president while the other positons would not be contested until their mandate had elapsed.
He said they had not set the actual date of the elections but that it would be expedited to ensure that the person to take over the mantle from former president Edgar Lungu, was chosen.
‘’Yes I can confirm that the MCC have decided to have an emergency meeting that will see a new president voted in, but I must state that it’s only that position that will be contested and no other,’’ he said.
Mr Lubinda said there were no vacancies in other positions of the party because they recently held their general conference which ushered in a new MCC team.
He warned people that were calling for an overhaul of the MCC to desist from fanning confusion in the party.
