By CHIDA SAKALA –
MEMBERS of the MMD calling themselves founding fathers of the party have called for a convention to be held before the general elections.
They are demanding that a presidential candidate be adopted at the convention.
Group representative, Anito Muma said a convention should be scheduled for any time ahead of the general elections.
“We the founding members of our party call upon all MMD members, leaders and sympathisers and remind them that as per the constitution, the party convention is due this year, 2016,” Mr Muma said.
He said holding a convention was the party’s tradition and practice of internal party democracy since it was founded.
Mr Muma said the convention would agree with the party’s founding principles, that were arguable at the Garden House meeting in 1991.
He said it was clear that the MMD’s loss during the 2011 presidential election left the party mortally divided as evidenced by the party leaders and members that opted to form alliances or join other political parties in acts of desperation and panic.
Mr Muma said in the last four years, governance in the country had encountered challenges in the area of sustained economic growth, coupled with violence, regionalism and hate speeches, all of which were alien to the MMD ethos.
He, however, said the convention would, among other things, view the impact of plural politics and the amended Constitution to revive the spirit that ‘The Hour Has Come’.