PF okays consultative meetings

…nullifies ward elections

CONSULTATIVE meetings among members of Parliament and all other members as long as the intention or motive is to build the party, is not a crime, the Patriotic Front (PF) has said. And PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri has announced that party elections in Lusaka district have been put on hold until further notice. Mrs Phiri told the Journalists at the PF secretariat yesterday that President Edgar Lungu called for a meeting at State House which looked into the petition presented by Constituencies in Lusaka on Monday. She disclosed that the meeting which was attended by Vice President Inonge Wina, PF SG Davis Mwila resolved that there was nothing wrong with MPs holding consultative meetings. "PF is one political organization that promotes consultation among members as a matter of right and this extends to MPs hav- ing caucuses or meetings amongst themselves for as long as the intention or motive is to build the Party. "This forms part of PF’s intra-Party democracy and this space is protected under the Party Constitution," she said. Others present at the meeting included, Professor Nkandu Luo, for Munali, Given Lubinda, MP Kabwata, Margaret Mwanakatwe, Lusaka Central MP, Jean Kapata, Mandevu MP, Elizabeth Phiri, Kanyama MP and Chawama’s Lawrence Sichalwe. Ms Phiri said the practice is common even among Cabinet Ministers. "This is borne in the Party’s desire to entrench a culture of being consultative," she said. Ms Phiri further said the party elections in Lusaka Province and in particular, in the following Districts namely, Kafue, Chirundu, Chongwe, Rufunsa and Luangwa will proceed as scheduled while elections in Lusaka district have been put on hold with immediate effect until further notice. Ms Phiri said for Kabwata Constituency, elections for the sections and branches have been upheld while the ward elections have been nullified with immediate effect. "Ward Elections for Lusaka Central and Munali Constituencies have been nullified while those held for sections and branches have been upheld. These did not have proper supervision by the Party’s Elections Committee," she said. She said President Lungu also called for a meeting with all the constituencies and Lusaka district to interact with them and avail them a platform to air their concerns. She said this has been called for in the spirit of promoting intra-party consultative mechanisms. "I wish to reiterate the call for unity of purpose in the Party between elected representatives and party structures, including all our members," she said.