|
|
|
|
| National |
| Aford MPs sit on the fence |
|
by
Edwin Nyirongo, 18 February 2005
-
14:10:08
|
Aford MPs have said they will not take sides in the party rift that has led to the suspension of president Chakufwa Chihana to avoid being caught on the wrong side after the problems are settled.
Rumphi North MP Joshua Mzembe said he would not take sides because the differences are purely administrative which do not concern him as a mere MP.
“Those differences are for members of the executive committee of which I am not one. I will have to wait till after the convention, which the courts ordered, and I will abide by whatever decision that will come out,” he said.
Zizwa Mnthali, MP for Rumphi West, also said he is waiting for dust to settle, adding that taking sides in party differences puts one at a difficult situation when things normalise.
“As MPs, we are not supposed to take sides because we have other duties to think about like development in our areas,” he said.
Mnthali said he believed the problems that are in the party are temporal and would be resolved after the convention and hoped that the party would never find itself in such a situation again.
Luwi Msongole of Chitipa Central also said he would wait for the outcome of the convention because that would shape the direction of the party.
He said he is not for either side because he fought single-handedly to take the seat and that no one came to help him.
“I have to work for the people now because if I surrender them to politics, they will judge me negatively after five years. But I will take what ever decision the convention will make,” he said.
Vuwa Kaunda, the only Aford MP from Nkhata Bay said while he would support the outcome of the convention, he will support the side that is ready to support the President Bingu wa Mutharika in his development agenda for the country.
He said many people in Nkhata Bay are supporting what Bingu is doing and it will be a fruitless battle to fight against that.
“I am for development and I will support whoever will advocate development and support the president,” he said.
He, however, said the problems in the party were caused by the MOU with UDF, which benefited no one but only destroyed the party.
Party secretary general, Wallace Chiume said the stand taken by the MPs is a mature one because they are not members of the national executive committee but ex-officials.
“We are happy with the wait and see stand taken by the MPs because they are supposed to toe the party line and we feel it is a mature one,” he said.
Aford suspended Chihana, a move that confused some followers of the party.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
