THE Registrar of Societies has maintained that the Reform Party (RP) still exists and that there has been no correspondence to show that the party was dissolved.

Home Affairs Deputy Permanent Secretary Willies Mangimela, who is also acting as chief registrar of societies, told the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs that the RP still existed.

The RP was formed by Nevers Mumba who is leading the trouble-torn MMD.

Mr Mangimela was responding to Patriotic Front (PF) Nakonde Member of Parliament Abel Sichula, who wanted to know the correct position regarding the RP.

He said the party leaders had not written to the Registrar of Societies to communicate that they had dissolved the party.

According to the Societies Act, any registered society should communicate changes in writing.

"Very few political parties normally write to the societies when such changes have been made. Reform Party needs to write to the Society to communicate whether they exist or not," he said.

According to the records, Dr Mumba is the leader of RP.

And MMD Zambezi East MP Sarah Sayifwanda questioned why the registrar had not deregistered the RP for failure to remit annual returns when other political parties were being threatened to be de-registered for failing to pay annual returns.

Ms Sayifwanda also questioned how long it took to de-register the party for failure to pay annual returns.

Mr Mangimela said the Society would engage the party leadership on the way forward.