Aford doubts fully taking part in 2014 polls

There is doubt that the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) will take part in next year’s 2014 Tripartite Elections due to the ongoing leadership squabbles in the party, according to senior party officials.

Khwauli Msiska, former party secretary general, said on Sunday that the two camps are discussing the way forward and that soon a solution will be found.

“I understand the frustrations from the people, but we are working hard to ensure that a solution is found before elections,” said Msiska.

Asked whether the party will hold another convention, Msiska said the meeting will decide.

But Christopher Richie, who was voted Aford secretary general during the contested convention, dismissed the suggestion that another convention would take place.

Richie declared on Sunday that there will be no talk about the convention because it is unnecessary as the delegates that elected the current executive came from across the country.

“We are waiting for former president Godfrey Shawa, who is in South Africa, to come so that discussions can commence. But the meeting will not discuss another convention because we were duly elected,” said Richie.

He said the Shawa camp is arguing that the convention that elected the current committee did not represent the whole country.

“We have, therefore, collected signatures from the South and Central and currently, we are finalising the North. We want to prove that the executive was duly elected. However, the meeting will discuss incorporating some members into the executive, not having a new convention,” he said.

But Msiska warned that doing so would work against the court ruling.