United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Lucius Banda who is planning to challenge party president Atupele Muluzi during the party’s forthcoming convention has said the party lacks a leader who is committed to its agenda.
He made the remarks in Dowa soon after meeting the UDF district committee for Dowa.
Banda who is Member of Parliament for Balaka North said the party is lacking a leader who is committed to the party’s agenda.
He however noted that the UDF is a democratic party and that is why its leadership has called for a convention where everyone will be free to compete for any position.
Banda said it’s the people at the grass root who make up a party hence the fact that Muluzi went into government does not mean that the party has died since the people are still there.
Banda encouraged all UDF leaders in the district to work together in rebuilding their party saying one man alone cannot carry the whole load by himself.
Accompanied by the party’s first Vice president, Iqbar Omar, Banda trashed assertions that the party has died saying the UDF belongs to the people and they are there to revamp their party to be alive and strong.
On his part, the party’s first Vice president Iqbar Omar said he will support Banda’s bid to become president of UDF since he has already demonstrated that he is a leader who cannot be easily swayed by inducements.
Omar said UDF is still strong in Dowa and other parts of the country, but only needed good leadership.
Commenting on the message by Banda, some UDF party leaders who attended the meeting said they appreciated the effort by the UDF presidential aspirant in trying to revamp the party and make it more popular as it was before 1994
Dowa UDF chairlady, Evelyn Phiri, said UDF members lacked direction after Muluzi joined government of President Peter Mutharika but are now relieved with the coming in of Banda to address, encourage and give them direction.
Phiri urged fellow district committee members to work hard and see to it that if there are some people who left the party because they had been discouraged, they should rejoin the party since there’s now a new leader.
The party’s Dowa East District Governor, Samuel Gwetsera said the coming in of Banda to address them in Dowa was encouraging and pledged the district’s support for him.
