MMD denies agreeing to support PF in parliamentary by-elections

The MMD provincial leadership has dismissed a statement from Mambwe District Chairperson, Zephaniah Kaleya that the party has decided to rally behind PF in the Malambo and Petauke Central parliamentary by-elections.
MMD Acting Provincial Chairperson, Jacob Mwanza says that the former governing party has never met to discuss such a matter.
Mr. Mwanza told Breeze News that the MMD PEC, Provincial Executive Committee will be meeting this week to discuss the way forward after it withdrew from the parliamentary by-elections.
Meanwhile Mr. Mwanza defended his decision to attempt to file in his nomination papers for the Petauke Central parliamentary by-election despite MMD President, Nevers Mumba having instructed him to withdraw.
He explained that MMD leaders in Eastern Province were last week forced to visit Dr. Mumba in Lusaka to seek clarification on the party’s participation in the elections.
Mr. Mwanza stated that Dr. Mumba agreed that MMD participates in the elections and even issued adoption certificates on Monday last week.
He says that he was shocked that while on his way to Petauke from Lusaka, Dr. Mumba called around 21:30 hours asking him to withdraw from the race.
Mr. Mwanza says that he however, decided to go ahead after consulting his provincial team because a lot of preparations including that of financial support for campaigns had already been done.
Mr. Mwanza was only stopped from filing his papers by the Returning Officer, Dulani Phiri who received communication from Dr. Mumba that MMD would not participate in the parliamentary by-elections.