KAVINDELE CHALLENGES NEVERS

…Go for a convention, judgement did not forbid that.

FORMER

vice president, Enock Kavindele has challenged Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) president Nevers Mumba to go for a convention because the party constitution demands that a convention be held every five years.

Mr Kavindele said the High Court proclamation that Dr Mumba was legitimate president for the party did not say that it should not go for a convention.

He said the MMD constitution’s demand for a convention every after five years should be respected without fail.

Mr Kavindele said in an exclusive interview that the MMD cannot go beyond next year without a convention because it last held one in 2012.

“This means that the term for the current leadership which was declared to be legitimate has expired hence the need to go for the convention to elect a president who will contest the 2021 general elections. “MMD constitution calls for a convention every five years. The five years elapsed so they need to go for a convention before the 2021 general elections.

“To make things straight, when the High Court proclaimed Nevers Mumba as a legitimate president of the MMD, it did not say that you should not go for a convention. That proclamation was just to tell the party members that he is the one who must hold the office,” he said.

Mr Kavindele said party members should decide the date when to hold the convention next year so that it could prepare adequately for 2021 general elections.

He said if the MMD delay to hold the convention it may not have time to campaign countrywide especially that the political situation was stiff.

Earlier, Dr Mumba said the much-talked about convention was not a priority because confusion in the party ended after the High Court judgement. He said, he was now concentrating on building the party and would not be distracted by calls coming from illegitimate MMD members.

He was reacting to calls by MMD national secretary Raphael Nakachinda that there was need for the party to go for a convention because Dr Mumba’s term of office had come to an end.