WESTERN Province MMD chairperson Imasiku Namakando has said the decision by the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint new members, including deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu has cheered the leadership and the general membership in the province.

Mr Namakando said in a telephone interview yesterday the move taken by the NEC was a response to the cries of MMD members to ensure the party's national leadership always worked as a team.

He accused former deputy national secretary Jeff Kaande of being a stumbling block in efforts aimed at strengthening and reorganising the MMD in Western Province and other parts of the country.

He said he was happy because the prayers of the party leadership and general membership in the province had been answered.

"We are happy that some individuals at the secretariat who seemed to have been championing their personal agenda have now been removed from their positions. We just wish to cooperate with some of our new NEC members including the old ones and we wish Mr Kaande, who looked like he was tired and deserved resting all the best," he said.

Mr Namakando said the MMD in Western province was being reorganised to prepare itself for the 2011 elections.

"As a party in the province, we have always been ready for any elections but it is important for us to work hard," he said

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Kaande proved futile as his mobile phone was just ringing.

At the weekend, a NEC meeting chaired by MMD president Rupiah Banda adopted Education Minister Dora Siliya as party spokesperson and parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga as committee member.

The party has also formed a Political Mobilisation Taskforce that would strategise and ensure election victory for the MMD in 2011.

The names of members of the taskforce would be announced later.

National secretary Katele Kalumba, who announced the changes, disclosed that other new members appointed to the NEC included Mr Nyangu who takes over as deputy national secretary from Mr Kaande.

Losing Solwezi Central MMD candidate Albert Chifita has been co-opted in the NEC as committee member.

The meeting held at the weekend indicated that there was renewed commitment by all members to re-strategise and set the pace for 2011.