By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

THE Lusaka High Court has blocked the MMD from expelling four of its Members of Parliament (MPs) and the national youth treasurer from the party.
Judge in charge Isaac Chali ordered and directed MMD national secretary Mwansa Mbulakulima not to suspend and expel the five from being members of the MMD until the determination of the matter.
The five are Kasempa MP Kabinga Pande, Lunte’s Felix Mutati, Rufunsa MP Kenneth Chipungu ,Sinda parliamentarian Levy Ngoma and national youth treasure Mathew Jere.
Mr justice Chali further ordered the MMD not to interfer with the enjoyment of their membership and privileges of belonging to the MMD.
He will, however, hear the five and Mr Mbulakulima interparte on March 4, 2015.
The five lawmakers and 15 other party members were expelled from the party on January 31, 2015.
During a Press briefing over the weekend, the MMD announced that 18 members including the five had been expelled from the party claiming that the decision to expel them was arrived at after a national executive committee meeting attended by more than 40 members.
But the five have contended that the purported meeting was illegally held and any resolution of the meeting was null and void. They want the court to declare that they were still members of the MMD and that their purported expulsion from the party was null and void.
Mr Chipungu has asked the court to restrain the MMD from notifying the Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini of the purported expulsion and further asking the speaker to nullify his seat.
The five wanted to be granted an order of interim injunction restraining the MMD whether by themselves or their servants or agents from being members of the MMD.
Mr Ngoma asked the court to restrain the MMD from harassing or intimidating him in any manner whatsoever until the full determination of their cases.