5 September 2008
TWENTY MMD founder members from across the country led by two veteran politicians Vernon Mwaanga and Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika have urged the party's national executive committee (NEC) to endorse acting President Rupiah Banda as party presidential candidate today as prominent Lusaka lawyer and politician Rodger Chongwe threw his weight behind Mr Banda.
Speaking at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwaanga said NEC should elect Mr Banda because he was the only mature candidate among all MMD aspirants and would accomplish Dr Mwanawasa's vision.
Mr Mwanga who is former Information and Broadcasting minister said the country now needed a gallant man who had a vision to make it wealthy in line with what Dr Mwanawasa had planned.
He said the acting president was a unifying factor who without doubt could ensure continued economic growth as he understood and worked closely with Dr Mwanawasa.
"I am at this meeting because I have a personal testimony to give as a freedom fighter and founder of MMD regarding Mr Banda's life history. This man has proved to us that he can run this country because of what he has been doing from the time he started acting as president.
"Mr Banda among the aspiring MMD candidates is the only mature and able bodied person to become president of this country. Those aspiring now should just consider themselves for 2011 general elections and leave this time for Mr Banda," Mr Mwaanga said.
Notable MMD founders were former vice-president Christon Tembo, former ambassador to Botswana Milton Phiri, Mbita Chitala, Vera Chiluba, Joe Mwale, Wendy Sinkala and Rosemary Kanyenga.
Mr Mwanga said MMD in 2006 managed to scoop 16 parliamentary seats in Eastern Province because of Mr Banda's tireless campaigns for the party adding that this time he should be elect to rule the country untill 2011.
Gen Tembo said two weeks before President Mwanawasa left for the summit in Egypt he spoke with him concerning MMD party issues and its way forward but he did not disclose he had anointed anyone.
And Mr Lewanika called on MMD members to give maximum support to Mr Banda today saying the man had a great vision for the country considering his rich historical background in running national affairs.
Meanwhile, former Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) chairperson Willa Mung'omba has withdrawn from the MMD race for the presidential by-election and has instead supported the candidature of Mr Banda.
Mr Mung'omba said he decided to withdraw from the race so as to promote unity in the party and urged his supporters and others to throw their weight behind Mr Banda.
He said that the best MMD candidate for the presidency should have a national character.
In a statement in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mung'omba said that when he filed his application to the NEC, his understanding was that selection of the candidate would be at the party convention.
Mr Mung'omba however said that it was later discovered to him that the NEC would be responsible for the final electoral process and even then the selected candidate would not be the president of the MMD.
He said that the MMD president would only be elected at a party convention by the year 2010.
He said that the tendency to find replacements in a hurry was often times characterised by corruption and were bound to manipulation. He also said that limiting the responsibility to find a leader to NEC was unsatisfactory.
Dr Chongwe yesterday declared his support for Mr Banda as MMD presidential candidate saying he was the best suited to take over from President Mwanawasa.
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