The opposition Movement for Multi-party Democracy MMD National Executive Committee led by National Secretary Muhabi Lungu met today despite earlier attempts to block the meeting by party president Nevers Mumba using the Zambia Police.
According to resolutions passed at the meeting, all all decisions made by the embattled Dr Mumba to expel and suspend party members have been declared null and void.
The 34 out of 45 NEC members who met have also resolved to reinstate Muhabi Lungu and Chembe Nyangu as National Secretary and Deputy National Secretary respectively prompting police to launch a manhunt for the conveners.
"The NEC has also resolved not to recognise Mwansa Mbulakulima as National Secretary. They have also resolved to call for an extra ordinary convention where all positions will be floated so as to put new lease in the party," a source told Zambia Reports.
But sources say police in Lusaka are looking for reinstated Party National Secretary Muhabi Lungu for possible arrest for hosting the NEC meeting at his house.
Police have launched a manhunt for Lungu led by Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Charity Katanga.
Katanga led officers to Lungu's residence in the company of wayward cadre Bowman Lusambo.
Lusamba was in the company of police after being physically manhandled by some party cadres at the MMD secretariat earlier today.
"Bowman was taught a lesson that he is not a die hard. He was clobbered at the party secretariat when he went with cadres to assault NEC members whom he thought were at the secretariat," the source said.
"He was reduced to pulp. The cadres also clobbered self imposed spokesperson Raphael Nakachinda and a Mr. Kalinde who works as a security guard and driver for Nevers Mumba."
On Friday, Nakachinda issued a statement announcing that police had halted the NEC meeting called by Lungu.
"The illegal meeting called by expelled former Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) National Secretary, Muhabi Lungu for tomorrow Saturday 14th February, 2015 has been stopped by the Zambia Police Service.
"The police have further sternly warned Muhabi and his group that if the meeting went ahead, it would be regarded as an unlawful assembly," he stated.
There is a power rift in MMD with two camps - one supporting Dr Mumba and the other for Lungu - emerging strongly post the January 20 election.
Copyright © 2015 Zambia Reports. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica publishes around 2,000 reports a day from more than 130 news organizations and over 200 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.
Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.