By Daily Revelation Reporter
State House and the Ministry of Home affairs have finally relaxed their clutches on Felix Mutati, by allowing the registration of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
And Harry Kalaba’s Democratic Party (DP) says it is set to form government next year, following the Court of Appeal decision to reinstate the registration of the party.
State House has made life a living hell for former finance minister Mutati, whose attempts to find a vehicle to kickstart his political life in the past one year has been frustrated at every point.
Well placed sources have told Daily Revelation that after Mutati lost the MMD presidency to Dr Nevers Mumba, he was desperate to kickstart his political career by trying to find another political party vehicle. However, sources said his attempts through his supporters to register a political party,MDC, where being frustrated by the Registrar of Societies, on instructions from State House and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The sources said State House feared that Mutati, would draw support from the ruling, though not much but significant enough to tilt the 2021 elections, which President Lungu narrowly won after defeating opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.
“The position from State House is that they don’t want new parties coming up, especially those that have some alignment with the PF, especially that we are only a few months before the next election. There is also a fear that drawing away support from the ruling party, no matter how little will be strengthening the opposition,” the sources said.
The sources revealed that noticing lack of movement with the registration of a new political party, Mutati and his supporters entered into talks with officials from late Mike Mulongoti’s People’s Party, and just when they thought they had concretised the deal, there was a sudden uprising from some members in the PP against the alliance, effectively killing the talks.
The sources said thereafter, Mutati and his former faction members in the MMD attempted to get into a merger with Highvie Hamudu’s party, and just when they thought they were making progress there was a sudden change on the part of Hamududu, and no progress was made on that score.
The sources said the same happened with the talks involving Jackson Silavwe’s Golden Party, who after initially agreeing to join hands with Mutati found State House’s hand too ‘generous’ to deny.
“We only received word of him telling us, after we had made progress that you can join but you must work under me,” the sources told Daily Revelation.
However, sources have told Daily Revelation, that Mutati’s officials where called to the Registrar of Societies offices last week to collect the registration certificate, which had been pending since November, 2019. The sources said the Society made the move on instructions from the Ministry, following media revelations on their conduct.
The sources said the MDC was now preparing to hold a convention that will legitimise Mutati’s standing in the party and with the public.
“He is actually the founder, and he just wants to use the process to legitimise himself as following the democratic process. We shall be having the convention very soon, with 10 members from each district and the whole 24 member executive,” said the sources. “Right now we are printing tshirts and branding vehicles. At least we have a platform now we can use, either on our own or in discussions with other parties.”
-Daily Revelation