The Zambian ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in six provinces out of all the nine have endorsed Acting President Rupiah Banda as candidate for the forth-coming presidential by-election, MMD co-founder member Mbita Chitala have told Zambia News and Information Services.
Provincial executive committees in Luapula, Northern, North Western and Copperbelt have unanymously endorsed the candidature of Banda in the November polls, he said.
Eastern and Western provinces' party executive committees have also resolved to support Banda in the by-election, he said.
Chitala has since urged the MMD National Executive Committee (NEC) to adopt Banda as candidate to stand on the party ticket.
He said the provincial conferences also resolved not to campaign for any other candidate apart from Banda, should NEC impose a person against the wishes of the majority membership.
He has since advised other MMD aspiring candidates to consider withdrawing from the race for the sake of unity and stability in the party ahead of the by-elections.
"Those who are pushing for the unnecessary contest within the party are only trying to destroy the MMD ahead of the elections," he said.
"We should learn from other mature democracies such as the United States where candidates graciously withdraw from the race when there is a clear front-runner," Chitala said.
He advised all MMD party members to rally behind Banda and urged members wishing to join Banda's campaign team to do so.
Meanwhile Chitala also advised opposition political parties contemplating to contest the presidential by-elections to reconsider their positions by withdrawing from the race.
He suggested that other political leaders allow Banda chance to complete pending development projects initiated by late President Levy Mwanawasa before the country goes to general elections in 2011.
Chitala observed that the MMD is so far the only party capable of managing national affairs as evidenced by the majority parliamentary representation.
He said opposition political parties should focus their energies towards the 2011 elections and not waste their resources in this year's by-election.
The Presidential by-election, scheduled for November, has been necessitated by the untimely death of President Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa died on August 19 in a French hospital, where he was evacuated to on July 1, after suffering a stroke in Egypt on June 29.
Source:Xinhua
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