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| National |
| Ditched candidate warns UDF gurus |
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by
Francis Tayanjah-Phiri, 20 October 2004
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19:23:54
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UDF’s Mzimba North candidate Ruth Salanya, who has been ditched by the party, has warned she will not bow down to her party’s move to eject her from the by-election race.
Salanya has also threatened to drag to court UDF publicity secretary Humphrey Mvula, treasurer general Khumbo Kachali and regional governor Wyson Mkochi for the way they have influenced the decision to dump her.
“I know that Kachali, Mkochi, and Mvula are deliberately doing this because they all come from the southern part of Mzimba and are not amused that some of us are making the party strong in northern Mzimba. It’s all out of jealousy,” she said.
Salanya said she was surprised that the same party which is stopping her from standing endorsed her just after parliamentary elections were halted due to the death of a PPM candidate.
“Whatever the case, I will stand on the UDF ticket. They endorsed me and they know the time and resources I have invested on behalf of the party in the constituency. Should they underrate me because I am a woman? They will know what Ruth Salanya is made of,” said Salanya, threatening to drag the three to court.
But, Mvula and Kachali, in separate interviews laughed off Salanya’s threats and sentiments, saying the party’s decision to stop her contesting was binding after proper consultations were done.
Said Mvula: “Salanya should stop personalising the matter. The decision was not of my own, but as publicity secretary I had to communicate what the party’s NEC had resolved. In this case, the party NEC thought there was need to adhere to our agreement with Aford not to field a candidate there. It’s nothing to do with where some of us come from.”
Mvula said after the elections were shelved in that constituency, the UDF resolved to contest “but later on, after being reminded of our memorandum with Aford, we felt it was only proper we have to be fair to our friend. Let her stand as an independent if she so wishes, but our presence in that constituency is out during the by-election time.”
Kachali said Salanya was entitled to her opinion, but should not bring personal feuding into party arena, stressing the idea to trade in Mzimba North for Mzimba South was binding for the party and nothing would be done to reverse it.
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