MMD power struggle, what is at stake?

Felix Mutati

Felix Mutati has come up in arms to demand for a convention in MMD in accordance with the Party Constitution which states that there will be a party General convention every 5 years and leaders are supposed to be elected during the convention.

The last time the MMD had its General Convention was held in 2011 where RB was elected Party President. But RB gave up the Presidency after losing the Republican Presidency to Late Michael Sata.

Nevers Mumba came in 2012 after beating Felix Mutati, who has been a close allay of RB, through minor convention which was convened for the soul purpose of electing a President for the former ruling party.

Nevers Mumba could not sustain a sound relationship and leadership with a number of senior party officials due to what Maj. Kachingwe termed as excessive extravagancy, selfishness and egocentrism.

File: MMD Parallel faction leader Major Richard Kachinwe

Maj. Kachingwe revealed a number of things which exposed the once glorious Pastor especially on financial gluttony. The hounding out of Maj. Kachingwe out of the MMD also revealed the extent to which the Pastor can go just to hold on to power.

Another challenging moment for Dr. Nevers Mumba was when RB wanted to use MMD to return into active politics officially (because he is still doing politics in his retirement).

Rupiah Banda

Nevers made it impossible for RB use MMD for Republican Presidency fight, even though the later feels he owns MMD after the death of the two (FTJ and Levy) great leaders of the party.

Recently President Edgar Lungu prematurely announced that he wants to go into alliance with MMD while kissing goodbye to his political godfather of 2015 who made him win the Republican Presidency by implication when he said, he thanked RB for helping him in 2015 while inviting Nevers to work with him in 2016.

It is obvious that RB is not happy with the move of Edgar though he may most definitely not express it in words but in actions like unleashing his cadres on Nevers while fronting Felix Mutati.

Mtonga who is allegedly involved in the recent MMD secretariat hooliganism is RB right hand man and not Mutati.

If the assumption that RB is not happy is correct, then President Lungu must be very careful because while Nevers Mumba tries to force himself as MMD President, he doesn’t have real control of his members.

RB still controls MMD and capable of snatching the real stake of the MMD leaving Nevers with a bone of Presidency. Therefore an alliance with Nevers may just be in name only but nothing in terms of votes.

Rupiah Banda introducing Lungu at a campaign rally

The biggest risk would be where RB takes his constituency through Felix Mutati. Felix is aligned to UPND and that is pretty dangerous for my beloved Edgar and myself (kikikiki politics teyabana iyooo).

It must also be borne in mind that Felix Mutati has a chance of usurping the MMD Presidency through the Court. The urguement of Nevers that since he was elected in 2012 therefore he will not be subjected to Electoral contest till 2017 hangs in a balance.

The General Convention is the Supreme assembly while all other conventions are subservient to the main one. A party cannot subject itself to individual terms depending on when they were elected as they replace others. Imagine if 10 people are voted in at different times replacing other members, how many conventions will keep on having to accommodate the individual terms. That would bring chaos in a party.

Of course PF did the same thing but Edgar being clever as a lawyer, he has sealed that deal with Davies Chama through the endorsement of the MCC. Otherwise Edgar would have had a battle to justify an individual convention just to elect him. But Nevers might not survive it in Court.

With all issues considered, it is not worthwhile to waste time negotiating with Nevers Mumba though he is overzealous but it doesn’t go further than his outspokenness. Nevers doesn’t even bring the Bemba vote (I can even do better kikikiki).

The best option is to still bring RB back on board inspite of the corruption issues I have against him but who am I, this is politics.

Meanwhile I am watching this side, just make sure I don’t go in exile I love Zambia and the Easterners ladies.

By Chilufya Tayali