I have sacrificed a lot for UDF—Omar

Reports were rife that United Democratic Front (UDF) vice-president Iqbal Omar had resigned from the party only for the public to be told 24 hours later that he remains the party’s member. Our reporter BONIFACE PHIRI talked to Omar on the confusion that was created.
Q:
Recently the nation was told that you had resigned from your position of vice-president in UDF, but barely 24 hours later you insisted that you hadn’t resigned. Just what is happening?
A:
The truth is that I have not resigned and you cannot find any letter of resignation on the secretary general’s desk. But I know all this is coming from what happened about two months ago during a NEC [national executive] meeting in Lilongwe. We gathered to do a postmortem of the May 20 elections. During the meeting, I asked the president and all delegates to relieve me of my duties as vice-president of the party and that I should be allowed to operate as a mere NEC member only owing to hindrances I was getting in discharging my duties. But the first to reject my decision was Honourable Atupele Muluzi who was seconded by Honourable Lucius Banda representing all MPs and then the whole house turned down my request. In honouring their wishes, I decided to stay on as vice-president.
This is being championed, this time round, by some frustrated and disgruntled people who are eyeing my position.

Q:
What’s unsettled you in the party that you thought of resigning your position?
A:
Those are internal matters that I cannot discuss in the media. But one thing for sure is that I cannot resign from the party because I am a founding member; we founded this party together with people like former president Bakili Muluzi, Shaibu Itimu, Edward Bwanali, Harry Thomson, the Nakangas, the Chizumilas, the Samas and many others. As such, I will be the last one to handle the party after everyone has left because I have suffered and sacrificed a lot of personal money to keep it afloat. I actually deliberately announced my “intention” to resign at that meeting simply to expose their selfish motives.

Q:
So, one wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that there are squabbles and grudges at play between you and some elements in the party?
A:
I will tell you the truth; some people in the party are working hard to see my back so that they slot in somebody they prefer. They are saying all sorts of things against me, including calling me names like “m’mwenye iwe”, “we don’t need foreigners in the party…,” just to upset me so that I resign and they get their man. Recently, they barred me from conducting any party business in Nkhotakota and Salima and two weeks ago, the same people told the police at Zalewa Roadblock to stop my truck carrying people to the installation ceremony of Chief Kapoloma in Machinga, claiming that the people had been hired and equipped with pangas by me to disturb the ceremony.

Q:
UDF publicity secretary Ken Ndanga says you are bringing confusion in the party, especially in the Central Region…
A:
He is a confusionist himself. Actually he should be reminded that he came from the defunct NDA. He is interfering too much in the affairs of the party in the Central Region. You don’t see people throwing stones or a tree that has no fruits, so they are fighting me because they know I produce fruits and they are envious.

Q:
But the publicity secretary speaks for the party and I believe this is the party’s position…
A:
First of all, let me tell you that I did not attend the meeting he held last week at Pacific Hotel where he says I tendered my resignation. I was in Chipata, Zambia on private business on the material day and I challenge him to produce my resignation letter then I will take him seriously. Believe me, whatever he wrote on Facebook regarding my “resignation” didn’t even have the blessing of the secretary general.

Q:
Have you and Honourable Atupele Muluzi spoken about these issues?
A:
Not yet. I don’t want to disturb him as he is now busy with government business. On several occasions, he has excused himself from party meetings to attend crucial ministerial assignments. But I am sure being a man of goodwill that he is, he will find time to attend to these issues pretty soon and I don’t want to blame him for all this.

Q:
What’s the way forward for you and party now?
A
I propose fresh elections for all regional, national and district positions so that confusionists are sieved.