NORTH-WESTERN provincial Youth Chairperson Stafford Mulusa says it is shocking that the acting MMD president Michael Mabenga is ignoring the membership's call to lift the ban on the position of the party vice-president.

Mr Mulusa said next month's convention would be meaningless if the second highest party position was not re-introduced.

Mr Mabenga said at the weekend that the MMD has no intention of re-introducing the position of vice-president at the forthcoming convention despite calls by some membership to do so.

The MMD froze the position ahead of last year's convention when it became apparent that former vice-president George Kunda would be defeated by former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti.

Mr Mulusa said in a statement yesterday that as acting president, Mr Mabenga should show leadership and use the opportunity to correct wrongs that were created in the party especially that there was no need to scrap the position in the first place.

He said he agreed with MMD elections Chairperson, Gabriel Namulambe who recently called for the party to introduce two vice-president positions in the hierarchy.

Mr Mulusa challenged all the 10 provinces and presidential hopefuls to state their positions clearly on the issue as keeping quiet had proved costly in the past.

"It is so personal a statement to refer to the position of the vice-president as irrelevant. Mr Mabenga being the national chairperson should not undermine the position of party vice-president," Mr Mulusa said.