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WE are surprised that former vice president Guy Scott could be so bitter and use abusive language over Margaret Mwanakatwe’s application to stand as a parliamentary candidate for Lusaka Central constituency when it is everyone’s constitutional right to aspire to any position,” Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Davies Chama has said.
Commenting on Dr. Scott’s outburst towards the PF following Ms. Mwanakatwe’s application for adoption to stand as MP in Lusaka Central, Mr. Chama said it was unfortunate that Dr. Scott, a senior member of the party who once served as secretary general and acting republican president, had refused to come to terms with the party constitution.
He said since its inception in 2001, the PF had always conducted a transparent and democratic adoption process which gave all deserving members an equal chance to be adopted for various party positions in each election.
Mr Chama said instead of being bitter, Dr. Scott should just apply for re-adoption to stand as parliamentary candidate for his constituency in this year’s election and allow the due adoption process to take its course rather than bringing the name of the party into disrepute.
“We are surprised with Dr. Scott’s attacks on Ms. Mwanakatwe because she is very free to exercise her constitutional right. There are a lot of MPs in the party who are receiving competition for adoption from other members of the party for their seats but how many of them have complained that they are being undermined by other members?
“There is nothing wrong that Ms. Mwanakatwe has done and so Dr Scott’s complaints are not justified in any way because he knows very well that since 2001, the party has conducted a transparent adoption process where everyone has had the right to exercise their willingness to stand on any position,” Mr. Chama said. He wondered why Dr. Scott had decided to vent his anger on Ms. Mwanakatwe when there were other people who were challenging him on the same seat but never talked about them.
Mr Chama said there was no seat in the PF which was reserved for the incumbent, adding that the ruling party will not stop anyone from exercising his or her right to stand.
“There are a number of people who have applied to be adopted as candidates for the Lusaka Central constituency but he has not criticised any of them. Is it because she is a woman that is why he is attacking her?
“The PF will not prevent prospective candidates from applying and we will continue receiving applications from all the 150 constituencies because we believe in democracy as a party.
“He (Dr Scott) hasn’t even applied to be re-adopted and we find his outbursts very surprising because there is no candidate who will be adopted on account that they are the incumbent but all will be subjected to the same adoption process,” he said.
Mr Chama said the PF would not abrogate its constitution to meet the demand of some individuals who thought they needed preferential treatment because all members were equal and needed to be treated fairly as they were important to the party.
Yesterday, Dr. Scott was quoted as expressing disappointment and outrage over the application of Ms. Mwanakatwe to stand as parliamentary candidate for Lusaka Central, stating that the PF had not consulted him over her adoption.
