Only a ‘fool’ will not see that MMD propelled Lungu to Victory -Nakacinda

Raphael Nakacinda

Only a ‘fool’ will not see that MMD propelled Lungu to Victory The Movement Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has said only a fool can not see the contribution the Party made to the victory of the PF President Edgar Lungu in both 2015 and 2016 elections.

Speaking in an interview MMD National Secretary  Rapheal Nakacinda said his party would like to echo President Lungu’s statement when he visited Copperbelt that only a fool would argue that MMD did not help the PF win the election.

Mr Nakacinda said it was illogical for some PF members to be complaining that their party has been sold to the MMD when they know that without it the PF would not have secured the victories in both 2015 and 2016 polls.

He also said there is no such a thing as selling a political party to another Party but PF Members should appreciate that the MMD in 2015 through the former President provided support to Mr Lungu as a presidential candidate to secure his victory.

“If you look at the votes that the PF members of parliament got put together they do not make Edgar Lungu go through the 50%+1 but if you add the votes from the MMD candidates including those who lost when you look at their votes and add to that of PF that is what made PF and Edgar Lungu to become President,” Mr Nakacinda said.

He noted that the PF members accusing President Lungu of selling the PF to the MMD had other grievances and were using MMD as an excuse to express themselves.

Mr Nakacinda said the  two gentleman or so that are expressing themselves and using MMD as an excuse have a different issue they are aggrieved about and now they are using MMD as an excuse.

He said  Zambians  know that the partnership between MMD and PF is what guaranteed victory for President Lungu and served them colossal sums of money by avoiding a rerun which should be appreciated.

The MMD National Secretary said his party should not be  drawn into petty politics.

The PF has been rocked by intra party divisions as some members have accused their party President of favouring the “MMD” whom they consider to be outsiders of the Party.

They have (PF members) expressed fear that the PF is slowly being taken over by the former ruling party citing the ministerial jobs which have been given to former MMD members while living out senior party members.

But President Lungu has remained adamant and instructed the PF to welcome new members saying without the help of the so called MMD members he would not have won the election.

One would argue that the PF shot themselves in the foot when they adopted former MMD members. In Copperbelt several parliamentary candidates who won on the PF ticket are former MMD members who stood and lost to some of the PF members who were sidelined during the adoptions.

Mathews Nkuwa, Bowman Lusambo, Emmanuel Mulenga, Joe Mulangi, Frank Nga’mbi, Alexander Chitema are among the former MMD members who were picked on the PF ticket living the likes of Dr Joseph Katema, Wilbur Simusa and Boniface Mutale among others.

Several key ministerial jobs have been given to former MMD members such as the Ministry of Agriculture which is under Petauke MP Dora Siliya, Live Stock and Fisheries under Masait MP Mike Katambo.

While others are Kasenegwa MP Victoria Kalima who  heads the Ministry of Gender, Local Government which is under Vincent Mwale as well as Lucky Mulusa who is heading the National Development and Planning Ministry, and Ministry of Finance which under Felix Mutati.