Africa
No end to Banda's woes after by-election rout
Zambian President Rupiah Banda (left) introducing governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) party parliamentary candidate Burton Mugala to Kasama Central Constituency electorate at a campaign meeting on Tuesday in Kasama – about 855 kilometres north east of Lusaka. ELIAS MBAO
Posted Sunday, October 18 2009 at 18:07
Political downfall
Western Province party executive, the only one out of the nine provinces to openly demand the convention, has been dissolved over its stance.
Provincial chairman Namakando Simasiku has rejected the dissolution of his executive and warned President Banda of his political downfall in Western Province – whose votes propped him to the presidency in October last year.
Junior party officials in Southern Province have also demanded the convention.
President Banda and his allies have frequently taken disciplinary action against all dissenting voices in the governing party, but opposition to his leadership style has continued though few members who come out in the open.
The MMD was formed as a pressure group but later transformed into a political party aimed at removing the Dr Kaunda-led UNIP from power.
Its formation followed countrywide discontent and protests against food shortages and one-party-state bad governance.
UNIP’s 27-year monopoly of power, shortage of essential commodities especially food, and the collapse of the copper-dependent economy, gave the MMD swift countrywide popularity.
After extensive pressure, President Kaunda signed a constitutional amendment transforming Zambia into a multi-party state once again.
During Zambia’s multi-party elections on October 31, 1991, former trade unionist – Mr Frederick Chiluba, who was the MMD flagbearer – won 81 per cent of the votes against Dr Kaunda.
Dr Kaunda immediately conceded defeat and peacefully handed over power to Mr Chiluba.
Since 1991, the MMD has dominated the Zambian political scene.
However, Mr Chiluba’s bid for a third term of office at the end of his constitutional two five-year term in 2001 led to formation of several breakaway parties.
President Mwanawasa, who was handpicked by Mr Chiluba, tried to revive the MMD but following his death last year, the cracks have re-emerged.
Some MMD members consider President Banda as an outsider and they argue that he must not be allowed to run the party, which Mr Banda openly admits to have campaigned against when he was in UNIP until recently (about 2003) when he joined it following Mr Mwanawasa’s persuasion.
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