UDF MPs demand convention ‘sooner than later’

Lawmakers of opposition United Democrat Front (UDF) have sounded a call for a convention to elect party leaders sooner rather than later.

But the acting president of the party Friday Jumbe says the convention is not likely t be held sooner, hinting it may be held in 2013, a year before the 2014 general elections.

The parliamentarians Chief Whip, Dr Clement Chiwaya, said UDF convention should be held "this year" to resolve the differences.

"What is happening in our party is sad because people are just waking up and distribute positions without endorsement on National Executive Committee," Chiwaya told a news conference in Lilongwe, addressed by the MPs.

UDF parliamentray leadership: Convention sooner rather than later

He demanded that the UDF should establish a convention committee, open account for MPs and all well-wishers to donate and set the party's convention at the end of the year.

UDF leader in parliament Ibrahim Matola said people running the party are mostly handpicked and did not get mandate at the convention, hence need to legitimise their positions.

Jumbe, not a lawmaker, said that the party is not going to rush to hold its National Convention until it heals all its wounds that were caused by the differences among its leaders.

“The party was heavily affected by the factions that were there. It is in this back ground that we have agreed to work as a united front. We are not going to rush for a convention because we want to see that all the wounds have been healed," said Jumbe, former finance minister.

“But definitely we are going to hold one before the General Elections,” said Jumbe.

Jumbe himself, lawmaker Atupele Muluzi who is son of former president Bakili Muluzi, and lawyer Fahad Assani are some of the notable people who are reported to have offered themselves for nomination at the National Convention for the position of president.

The UDF is desperately hunting for about K20 Million to finance the indaba.

Nyasa Times 11 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/politics/udf-mps-demand-convention-%e2%80%98sooner-than-later%e2%80%99/
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