I Am Still A Member Of MMD- Siliya

Dora Siliya says she does not understand why there seems to be a ‘political scramble’ for her when she is still a member of the MMD.
Reacting to information by some of her supporters that she was planning to defect to the PF or UPND in a few days’ time, Siliya, who was recently stripped of her position as party spokesperson, said leaving MMD was not her priority for now because she wanted to see the former ruling party reform under a new leadership.
“I feel overwhelmed by the support and calls that I have received from Petauke and around the country. At the moment, I am still MMD and if I intended to change, it would be me who would say it. There are so many rumours of ‘I have gone to PF, I have gone to UPND’. I was just called by a certain television station. A reporter from there just told me that there was a group of PF cadres that had gone to the station, that was praising me for joining PF. As far as I am concerned, I am MMD and I continue to engage with the people of Petauke and the rest of the members of the MMD on how we should proceed,” Siliya said.
“I don’t know where these rumours are coming from but I am overwhelmed. I am really humbled by all this interest about my political welfare as Dora. Going by the phone calls I have received, clearly it is because Zambians are concerned about the economic and political future of this country. They are very concerned with what is happening in the opposition and its future. So they have a right to be interested.”
Siliya warned that failure to hold a convention to elect new leaders would soon lead to MMD hemorrhaging and losing members to other parties.
“Like we have seen in Luapula, there were massive defections of MMD members to PF and Muchinga and even in Lusaka where we know that most of our members have moved to UPND because they are not inspired by the current leadership,” she said.
“Currently, it is difficult to see in which province MMD can win an election. Nevers Mumba, MMD president himself can’t win in Muchinga. Even the membership shelf like in Eastern Province is limited. That is what has continued to concern me, (Lucky) Mulusa, (Brian) Chituwo, (Michael) Kaingu and Kafumukache.”