GEOFFREY Mwamba says acting President Dr Guy Scott has been professional in handling matters in the PF.
And Mwamba has wondered why some members of the party are scared of the general conference called to elect the party’s candidate for the coming presidential election.
But PF secretary general Edgar Lungu says acting President Scott has no powers to call for a general conference to elect a presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, acting President Scott has announced that the PF’s central committee will meet on Monday to discuss the practicality of holding a general conference. Speaking at Government House in Lusaka yesterday, Kasama Central member of parliament Geoffrey Mwamba said acting President Scott had operated professionally in the manner he had handled matters in the PF. He said PF members should all support acting President Scott’s decisions. “Let us be united.
There is no need to fight. Why are people scared of going to the conference? Is it because they are scared of losing their parliamentary seats? Let us all support what acting President Scott has said,” said Mwamba. And speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Lungu said neither him nor the acting President had the authority to convene a general conference for the ruling party, adding that such powers were only vested in the central committee. “Neither the secretary general, who is Edgar Lungu, nor the acting President Dr Guy Scott has the power to arbitrarily summon a meeting, it is the central committee to guide.
So the central committee will guide if we are going to go for the convention, which is the general conference. We will go; we are not scared. If the central committee will decide to take shortcuts, we will do that as provided for in the constitution,” he said.
Lungu said the party constitution mandated the central committee to decide the process for adoption of a presidential candidate. Among the PF members that attended Lungu’s press briefing were youth and sports minister Chishimba Kambwili, gender minister Inonge Wina, information minister Joseph Katema, Copperbelt minister Mwenya Musenge, Northern Province minister Freedom Sikazwe, gender deputy minister Esther Banda, Davis Mwila, Effron Lungu and Willie Nsanda.
And acting President Scott said the only agenda on the PF’s central committee meeting would be the general conference. “This morning, the PF national chairperson Inonge Wina came to see me here [Government House] with a request for a central committee meeting. So we shall have a Cabinet meeting today (yesterday) to consider the date of the presidential by-election. On Monday next week, after the routine Cabinet meeting, we will meet as the central committee to discuss the practicality of holding a general conference and the electoral college. That will be the only item on the agenda and I hope after that meeting, all this excitement that we have been witnessing will go away and we can be back on track as a party,” said acting President Scott. And Wina said the opposition had been jumping up and down that the PF would split. She, however, assured that the PF was united and that it was only mending fences. “My request is to the media to be factual as you report. There was no meeting that was held to discuss the expulsion of Dr Scott,” she said. During the briefing, acting President Scott was flanked by sports minister Chishimba Kambwili, agriculture minister Wylbur Simuusa, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe, home affairs deputy minister Nickson Chilangwa and Mwansabombwe PF member of parliament Rogers Mwewa. Simuusa said PF members needed each other more than ever before and they could only do so by being united.
Munkombwe said he was on his way out of politics but that he wouldn’t want to leave the PF in problems. Later, acting President Scott met Matero member of parliament Miles Sampa’s supporters outside Government House, where they had marched to show solidarity with him.
Acting President Scott advised the supporters to remain peaceful even as they would be campaigning for Sampa.
Judge Joe Bidden
November 15, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Scott should be commended for acting professional regardless of attacks he’s been getting from mafia gang of Lungu.hes level headed person
Sikiza
November 15, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Sample who is he came on th scene in 2011 can sme one tel me hs qualification and where he has workd
Aloysious kofya
November 15, 2014 at 2:17 pm
ZAMBIANS,ALA UMUSUNGU ALIFYE BWINO. PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR THIEVES WHO WANT ONLY TO STEAL.
makungu mulenga
November 15, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Let them go to convention. If they use the central commite to choose their leader,they ar likely to mistep their party constitution.If they can by pass it,what will stop them frm breaching the republican constitution?
mujosah
November 15, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Bushe
Ship Bwembya Chikalamo Chamasense
November 15, 2014 at 7:40 pm
These rich fools want to use money at convention to win votes. Some are fond of resigning when things get tense, careful. Kwena nalunya, ubu but president.
hardboy
November 15, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Scott is just blind folding PF members ati his clean when his hosting the cartel atase
Jeff
November 15, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Part of Dr. Scott’s legacy will be “The man who defended democracy against Kaponya intimidation.
George Chilinga
November 15, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Zambia is in crisis. A power struggle with some opportunists already hijacking the constitution. A military coup or peoples revolution is at this stage necessary.
Blago
November 15, 2014 at 11:07 pm
If Lungu has a lot of support, as he claims, why is he scared of the convention?
Judge Joe Bidden
November 16, 2014 at 9:17 am
Ipusha kwena
nicholas mwiindilila
November 17, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Truth&he kno dat hez headin nowher.
Mbala Chitemeshi
November 16, 2014 at 4:59 pm
Avoiding convention entails coming of dictatorship in PF. Please embrace democracy by being above bold in all your political activities. We put everything in the hands of the Almighty God that power does not get to the heads of the selfish undemocratic individuals avoiding the convention.
Trixy
November 17, 2014 at 10:19 am
@Mbala…I agree. Moreover our nieces and nephews from Mulungushi University have been asked to go home until after the PF convention. In other words, Mulungushi University is closed (to the anger of most parents) to enable this convention take place. So what now is the problem?
nicholas mwiindilila
November 17, 2014 at 2:28 pm
Wat z makin pf members 2fight against each other ts bcoz of greed&selfishness.lt thm kontinu fightn&us voters are listerning/watching.