PP celebrates ‘sieving of chaff’ in primaries

The ruling People’s Party (PP) says it has sieved chaff after several sitting members of Parliament (MPs) lost in the party’s primary elections.

Most MPs who have failed are those that defected from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to PP whereas, ironically, in DPP several sitting MPs have gone unopposed.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, PP acting secretary general Paul Maulidi said PP is happy that the MPs have failed in the primaries, arguing failure meant that they failed to deliver as MPs and people cannot trust them anymore.

Said Maulidi: “The party has not failed. It is the individuals who failed to deliver so we are not scared. In fact, we are happy that a number of sitting MPs have failed in the primaries and mind you, these MPs came from DPP.

“The primaries are a tool to sieve leaders who have performed and those who haven’t. Those who have performed have been trusted to represent the party and those who haven’t have been kicked out.”

Maulidi argued the development also means that PP is a democratic party and does not impose leaders on the people.

However, he commended the MPs who have made it, especially the Reverend Christopher Ngwira (Mzimba Hora) who scooped 11 559 votes against 672 votes for his opponent, Professor Dominic Mapopa Ndengu.

He argued Ngwira has potential and the people of his constituency love him.

Speaking in a separate interview, Ngwira said he was not surprised that his fellow MPs failed in the primaries, arguing most MPs dumped their constituencies after being voted. He said MPs have to be there for the electorate all the time.

“The big problem MPs have is that they remember people when elections are approaching.  People are more mature now; they know when to deal with leaders who don’t deliver,” said Ngwira.

Chancellor College associate professor of political science Blessings Chinsinga also said MPs that have failed to make it in primaries failed to deliver.