YOTAM Mtayachalo, Solomon Mbuzi and the entire Chama North ward and constituency executive committees have resigned from the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) citing poor leadership among other things.

In a letter dated October 13, 2020, Mtayachalo stated that following a meeting, the entire Chama North and South constituency and district leadership resolved to resign from the party.

“Following recent unfortunate developments in the party, failure to embark on party mobilization activities in readiness for the 2021 general election and more importantly the meeting which was held on 27th September 2020 in Chama district comprising of Chama north and Chama south constituencies and the district leaderships respectively which discussed the way forward the entire constituencies and district leaderships including the general membership resolved to resign from Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD). In view of the foregoing my continued membership in this political party has become unattainable and as such I regret to inform you that I have resigned from Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) with immediate effect. Further constituencies and the district leaderships in Chama district will be communicating to the party secretariat about the resolutions of the meeting of 27th September 2020 in due course,” he stated.

Mtayachalo, who is former chairperson for labor and employment and acting chairperson for information and publicity noted that he was leaving the party without any hard feelings and appreciated the opportunity given to him to serve in senior positions.

“However I would like to take this opportunity to thank the party President madam Edith Nawakwi, the National Policy Committee(NPC) and the general membership of the party for the confidence which was bestowed on me as evidenced from several senior party positions I previously held in the party and consequently I’m highly indebted to the organization for the rare privilege which was accorded to me during my tour of duty in the party thus enabling me to leave the FDD as a very happy man with no hard feelings against anyone,” stated Mtayachalo.

“Furthermore I would be failing in my duties if once more I did not acknowledge and appreciates the massive grass root support I received from the entire general membership of the party countrywide and as such I would like to wish them all the best in their future political endeavours as I also reflect seriously with the local leadership in Chama district on which political direction to take and the nation shall soon be informed about which political party the entire FDD membership in Chama shall join after consultations.”

Meanwhile, Mbuzi, in a separate statement, Sunday, said FDD in Chama district was dead as the entire leadership.

“It is in light of the foregoing that I would like to inform the people of Chama and the national at large that myself, the entire ward and constituency executive committees for Chama north have also followed suit and we have also tendered our resignations from the FDD with immediate effect. This now signifies that the FDD is now dead and buried in Chama district and very soon we shall decide to join a progressive political party of people’s wish where the entire membership of FDD shall belong to and victory for that political party in Chama north shall be assured because we shall campaign for the party president and the party vigorously. In conclusion on behalf of the party in Chama north constituency I would like to assure Mr Mtayachalo of our unwavering support wherever he decides to go because we believe he is the man full of passion and the drive for the people of Chama and we have no doubt that using his abundance wealth of experience in leadership he shall take the constituency to greater heights and more importantly we are comforted with the support the people of Chama north have invested in him,” he stated.

“Furthermore the decision to resign from FDD was arrived at the meeting which was held on 27th September, 2020 in Chama district because of poor leadership and authoritarian type of leadership which Nawakwi has continued to exhibit no wonder since the death of our great leader Lt General Christon Tembo the party has lamentably failed to make an impact on the Zambian political stage because the current visionless leadership which has continued to violate the party constitution with impunity as members who demand for holding of constitutional meetings such as national policy committee meetings and national convention are suspended and expelled from the part, hence many of these members do not question the leadership for fear of reprisals.”

And Mbuzi challenged the FDD national chairperson Portipher Chungu to state which clause they used to expel Mtayachalo from the party when it could only be done during a national convention.

“Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) in Chama north constituency in Muchinga province would like to challenge the party National Chairperson Mr Portipher Chungu and party President Edith Nawakwi to state which clause in the constitution empowers them to expel a member from the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) because such powers are vested in the Extraordinary or National Convention in accordance with article 12(g) of the party constitution and I quote “The National Convention shall have the appellant power to deal with matters of discipline of party members end of quote. Further the standing committee of the National Policy Committee(I.2c) has no such powers to expel a member of the party as in accordance with Article 19(a) of party constitution it mandates the committee to report to the NPC on all matters affecting disciplinary cases before it,” stated Mbuzi.

“Therefore we are challenge these two leaders to tells us when the NPC was held to purportedly expel Mr. Mtayachalo from the party and above all as per article 18(i) of the party constitution the powers to suspend any party member are limited and rests in the NPC and as such we are taken aback that someone aspiring for the highest office in the land is ignorant about the party constitution which is shameful.”