OPERATION SAVE MMD TOO FRAGILE TO JOIN ANY ALLIANCE – SICHILIMA

THE Operation Save Movement for Multi-party Development (MMD) is currently too fragile to join any alliance, faction leader Gaston Sichilima has said.

Mr. Sichilima told The Scoop that the opposition Operation Save MMD would decide on which alliance to join in future as it was currently putting its house in order.

At the weekend, Zambia witnessed the Patriotic Front led by former republican president Edgar Lungu together with six other parties form an opposition alliance called the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA).

Asked if the Operation Save MMD would join the newly formed opposition UKA or the governing UPND alliance, Mr. Sichilima said the party was currently too fragile to join any alliance.

“Firstly, it is open gossip that our party, the MMD, is in a mess because of my brother Dr. Nevers Mumba who has nose-dived our once vibrant political entity.

And due to this, there are two factions in the party namely New Hope led by him and Operation Save MMD led by myself. Because of the divisions in the party, we are of the view that it is premature for us to join any progressive alliance for now,” Mr. Sichilima said.

Mr. Sichilima reiterated that his current occupation was to reorganize the party.

He said he was busy reaching out to all members from both factions to form a formidable MMD team as they prepare for an all-inclusive convention that would elect MMD leadership that will organize the party across the country to add political value into any alliance.

“We are busy mobilizing our members to be ready to contest party positions during forthcoming free, fair, transparent, democratic and all-inclusive intra party elections which will be held soon to elect legitimate leaders in lower organs of the party. The leaders of the lower organs of the party will then be delegates at an all-inclusive convention which will usher in the new leadership,” he said.

“Lastly, we acknowledge and thank the various alliances who have approached us for us to join them. However, we have currently put their offers on hold as we are currently sorting out our in-house problems which will soon be resolved,” he states.