East MMD ditch PF

Meanwhile, Mr Kaleya said MMD was disappointed as they were never engaged before the petition was presented by the PF East leadership to their party secretary-general demanding the resignation of Mr Mutati from his ministerial position.

Mr Kaleya has since called on President Lungu to dissolve the PF provincial committee, if the alliance was to continue.

“We have suspended the alliance with PF in Eastern Province, because of their overzealous attitude. They travelled to Lusaka to embarrass our leader who was appointed as Finance Minister by the President himself without even engaging us.

“The PF committee in the province has become a thorn in the flesh, we feel betrayed by their behaviour. We were in an alliance, if they saw there was a problem, they would have engaged us but they never did. Instead they travelled to Lusaka and embarrassed our leader, which we won’t tolerate,” Mr Kaleya said.

He also charged that the allegation by the PF that Mr Mutati was being disloyal to the PF and President Lungu by secretly revamping the MMD with a mission to destabilise the PF in the province was false. “Since the convention, Mr Mutati has never done any sensitisation tour to see his organs, he went straight into President Lungu’s campaign. He has never held any meeting regarding 2021 elections, he has been quiet and concentrating on national duties,” he said.

Mr Kaleya however, stated that despite the suspension of the alliance, the MMD would continue to support President Lungu until his term expires.