I can’t work under Musenge - Fr Luonde
I REFUSED to work with Mwenya Musenge as National Democratic Congress (NDC) President because he was not part of the team which negotiated for the UPND Alliance and so he knows nothing about the alliance,'' former NDC national chairperson Richard Luonde has said.
Father Luonde, who is a former Anglican priest, said it was unacceptable to have Mr Musenge as NDC President because at the time the UPND Alliance was campaigning for President Hakainde Hichilema, Mr Musenge and Mr Chishimba Kambwili were campaigning for the Patriotic Front (PF) and insulting the alliance members.
Apart from Mr Musenge not being part of the team that negotiated for the UPND Alliance, Father Luonde said he refused to work with Mr Musenge because he was totally blank about the procedure which was followed to make him as NDC President
He said he has no problem with Mr Musenge as an individual and he would have welcomed him on another position , but not as party president because he was not part of the team which negotiated for the UPND Alliance.
"If Mr Musenge was given a different position, we would have welcomed him, but not as NDC President. No, because he was not part of the UPND Alliance. At the time when we were campaigning for the UPND Alliance, Mr Musenge was with PF and was insulting us.
"If anything, I don't even know how Mr Musenge was appointed NDC President. I just heard Mr George Sichula, the Presidential spokesperson announcing that Mr Musenge is the NDC President. If the right procedure was followed, myself being the party chairperson, I would have been the one to announce Mr Musenge as NDC President,'' Father Luonde said.
When asked who appointed Mr Musenge as NDC President, Father Luonde said he was blank about everything because he did not understand the whole procedure which ushered the former NDC Secretary General at the helm of the opposition party.
He however maintained that he was still with the UPND alliance despite refusing to work with Mr Musenge.
Last week, Father Luonde and other five senior officials refused to work Mr Musenge because he was not part of the team which negotiated for the UPND alliance.