PEOPLE’S PARTY IN CRISIS, PURPORTED MEMBERS ELECT NEW PRESIDENT TO REPLACE DR. SEBASTIAN KOPULANDE
Purported members of the People’s Party have gathered at Melsim Lodge on Alick Nkhata Road to hold an Extraordinary Conference to oust its leader, Dr. Sebastian Kopulande.
This is a hashed process by former members, Carlson Chingwengwezi and Agness Kawandami who were recently expelled.
The Party learnt of the schemes and the National Executive Management Committee held a meeting and expelled the duo.
But the duo have gathered a motley crowd, accomodated them at Melsim Lodge, given them t-shirts to purport that they are members of the People’s Party and will hold an Extraordinary General Conference to expel Sebastian C. Kopulande.
The crowd has since elected a Mandona Mwape as the new flag bearer for the People’s Party.
The.Registrar of Societies recently changed office bearers from former Minister of Information, Mike Mulongoti, who was founder of the Party after a lengthy process that has taken over one year.
The schemes are being attributed to State House and its Special Assistant for Politics, Levy Ngoma.
Kopulande has been a recent vocal critic and has reported Speaker of the National Assembly to the SADC and Commonwealth Parliamentary Forums for misconduct an
d abrogating the Republican Constitution.
The action to oust Kopulande appears to stem from this report and other critical matters he has been raising.
In October 2023, Matero .ember of Parliament Miles Sampa held a purported Extraordinary Conference and took over the reigns of the Party.
In December 2023, a faction of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) supported by Ministry of Home Affairs, Joseph Akafumba, held a general conference in Kabwe, which resulted in the purported removal of Saboi Imboela as party president.
Similarly Phumulo Situmbeko, founder and sponsor of the New Era Democratic Party was ousted by a group led by Exilda Mwenya who now purports to be President and the Registrar of Societies have changed Office Bearers to reflect her team as the owners of the Party.
The earliest of these schemes was Citizen First President, Harry Kalaba who in October 2021, Harry Kalaba was embroiled in a staged leadership dispute within the Democratic Party (DP) and his Vice President Judith Kabemba proceeded to remove him and expel him. The action was quickly supported the Party and Kalaba lost control.
UNIP Predident, Bishop Trevor Mwamba also suffered similar attacks when he was removed as UNIP President. It took the intervention of the Lusaka High Court to reaffirm that Bishop Mwamba eas the legitimate leader of UNIP.
The court ordered a rival faction led by Col. Henry Muyoba to cease interfering in party affairs and reinstated the Secretary-General appointed by Mwamba’s Central Committee.
Read Full Article on Zambian Observer
