MMD Suspends Dr Mumba, and settles for RB

The MMD National Executive Committee -NEC- has suspended party President Nevers Mumba for alleged gross indiscipline, and has adopted former President Rupiah Banda as its candidate for the January 2015 presidential by election.

Earlier in the Day on Tuesday, Dr Mumba held a press briefing at his Kabulonga residence where he declared himself as the party’s presidential candidate.

Dr Mumba also said that he would not back down to calls to step aside to facilitate the political come back of Mr Rupiah Banda on the MMD platform.

Dr Mumba said the MMD is not for sell and he will not allow lawlessness and blackmail in the MMD, and to be used against him.

He said he had a meeting with Mr Banda in which he made several options regarding the role the former head of state would play in the MMD but the duo could not agree.

Dr Mumba also lamented that while he was in a meeting with Mr Banda, some members of the party clandestinely collected signatures of some unsuspecting members of the party, to make numbers that would eventually suspend him.

Dr Mumba then said arising from these schemes, he decided to clear the air on the squabbles that had rocked the party ahead of the presidential by election, which Acting President Dr Scott has since announced as 20th January 2015.

But following Dr Mumb’as National address, the NEC convened an urgent meeting to look into the issues the party president raised, and resolved to hand him down the sanctions.

Speaking shortly after a National Executive Committee meeting, MMD National Secretary Muhabi Lungu said though suspended Dr Mumba will remain the party president.

Mr. Lungu says the MMD NEC has also declared null and void the earlier announcement by Dr. Mumba.

He further says the former ruling party is ready for the upcoming presidential elections slated for January 20 2015.

If the decision of NEC to suspend Dr Mumba remains final, he becomes the second party president to be ousted by a former head of state through the party organ ahead of presidential election.

In 1996, Dr Kenneth Kaunda came back from political retirement and ousted then UNIP President late Kebby Musokotwane, whose role in this instance was reduced to merely a caretaker of the the Party for Dr Kaunda.

But Dr Kaunda’s political come back was however thwarted as the Presidential clause was amended and barred him off the presidential race, as it todate, requires a candidate to have both his parents to have been born in Zambia.

ZNBC