MMD says it is not shaken by the stripping of its status as the official opposition in Parliament.

The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy MMD in Eastern Province says it is not shaken with removal of the party as leader of opposition political parties in parliament by the Speaker, Patrick Matibini.
Provincial Vice- Publicity Secretary, Lobby Khondowe, says the former ruling party is now getting stronger than ever and is focusing on winning the 2016 general elections.
Mr. Khondowe also says that it is misleading for anyone to suggest that MMD has lost popularity because of losing recently held by-elections.
On Wednesday, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini announced the decision when he made a ruling on a point of order raised in June this year by Defence deputy Minister Davis Mwila whether it was in order for the MMD to continue being recognized as the official opposition when its seats in parliament had reduced from the initial 55 to 52 at the time.
Dr Matibini in his ruling noted that for a political party to be bestowed with the status of official opposition in parliament, it should have 53 members of parliament which is the house’s quorum.
The current membership of opposition parties in the house has MMD 51 seats, UPND 30 seats, ADD and FDD one seat each and two independents.
This gives the PF 65 elected Members of Parliament and 8 nominated MPs