FDD expulsions illegal, unconstitutional

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 10:22:57 +0000

…and aggrieved parties plan to soon petition and report FDD leader Edith Nawakwi to DEC, ACC and Office of the Auditor General

By KALOBWE BWALYA and JUSTINA MULENGA

THE parallel “Save FDD” members have described their expulsion from the party as illegal, unconstitutional and null and void because none of the affected individuals was given a chance to appear before the disciplinary committee.

Secretary general Yotam Mtayachalo said the expulsion of the 21 members from the party was just meant to divert attention from real issues affecting the progress of the party.

During a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday FDD national chairperson Potiphar Chungu announced the expulsion of its vice president Chifumu Banda from the party for alleged gross misconduct.

Mr Chungu said the national policy committee had also resolved to expel all members involved in the illegal ‘Save FDD’ committee, adding that Mr Lawrence Mwelwa the chairperson for the committee was not a legitimate member of the party.

The national policy committee has since warned all party members of serious disciplinary action if  they attended meetings that were not sanctioned by the national secretariat.

“We are puzzled that this man Lawrence Mwelwa whose wife is Chiengi member of parliament Given Katuka, is hell bent to destroy the party that has given his wife an opportunity to be the MP,

“ The said  Save FDD committee is an illegal committee that does not exist in the FDD constitution such that  all its pronouncements and activities are null and void and must be treated with the contempt they deserve,” said Mr Chungu.

But Mr Mtayachalo said the committee will soon petition and report Edith Nawakwi to DEC, ACC, office of the Auditor general, including the embassies and high commissioners where money was coming from to fund FDD because they could not allow the tax payers money to be benefiting few individuals.

Mr Mtayachalo said forensic audit was needed so that the money and properties should be known to the public, the custodian and who the beneficiaries were.

He said the committee was more geared and would also ensure that the convention did not go ahead not until the issues raised were ironed out because Ms Nawakwi was not interested to take FDD to form government, but to enrich herself with donor funds..

Meanwhile Ms Nawakwi has continued expelling some party officials especially those calling for the convention says Gweembe FDD aspiring candidate, Sebastian Mwiinga.

Mr Mwiinga said that even their party vice president, Chifumu Banda had been expelled by Ms Nawakwi after facing suspension.

Speaking to Daily Nation in an interview yesterday, Mr Mwiinga said that FDD had been divided into two parties, Save FDD party which Chifumu Banda is president and old FDD where Ms Nawakwi has remained president.

“We want Nawakwi to step down and give others chance to stand by allowing us to go for a convention because her term is long overdue and we don’t want her anymore,” he said.