Aford VP rebuffs SG on NEC meet

Alliance for Democracy (Aford) vice-president TanilaniChipeta has rejected calls for a national executive meeting (NEC) to decide on the party’s convention.

The calls have come from the party’s elections and campaign committee chairperson Dan Msowoya who asked the party’s secretary general (SG) Christopher Ritchie to meet Chipeta to call for the NEC meeting.

However, Chipeta has snubbed Ritchie and Msowoya, saying they were part of a breakaway group prior to the May 21 Tripartite Elections, adding that the party’s focus is on the elections case in court.

“The people that are calling for the convention joined the United Democratic Front (UDF) prior to the elections despite that Aford was in an alliance with UTM Party and right now there is a case in court which we are supporting and that is our focus,” he said.

But Ritchie has trashed Chipeta’s justifications for not holding the convention, saying the party needs to move forward.

“The convention is long overdue. We are operating with leaders whose mandate expired long ago. We need the convention and can’t keep avoiding it,” he said.

Ritchie also rubbished funding excuses, saying for decades Aford has never had finances allocated for convention but has been able to raise funds for the same.

Msowoya also quashed financial challenges, saying funds will only be found if there is a cause.