WE DID NOT SECRETLY PAY K95,000 TO ECZ – MDC
MOVEMENT for Democratic Change MDC has clarified that payment of the K95,000 nomination fee by party President Felix Mutati was made before a decision to join forces with the UPND Alliance.
MDC Media Director Thabo Kawana told journalists in Lusaka today that this is contrary to social and mainstream media speculation that Mr Mutati secretly paid the nomination fee, insinuating this was done to deceive the Alliace partners.
Mr Kawana said no such payment was made secretly as it is insinuated because the K95,000 was paid before an understanding between The Zambia We Want and UPND Alliances was reached.
He said the UPND was also notified of the K95,000 paid prior to entering into the alliance.
Mr Kawana said the Alliance remains committed and united under the agreement that its leader is Mr Hakainde Hichilema.
He said it is for this reason the MDC did not take any of its 1,000 supporters for verification by the Electoral Commission of Zambia yesterday because the party is not contesting the August 12 general elections.
“As MDC, we didn’t show up because we had to send a signal that we are not participating as presidential but participating as Alliance partners and our president and leader is Hakainde Hichilema who is leading the UPND Alliance to which we are party” Mr Kawana said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kawana said at no time did the MDC go into the alliance with the UPND with any conditionalities attached like that of aspiring to have its leader picked as running mate.
He said the agreement entered into was unconditional as it was under the resolve to work as like minded organizations and as such, positions of vice president or other positions were never on the negotiating table.
“Whoever is picked as running mate from among the alliance partners, ours is to support and move in and ensure that we work very hard so that we give the people of Zambia the quality leadership that they deserve” Mr Kawana said.
MDC MEDIA TEAM