LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Battle line is refusing to dies in the ongoing Alliance for Democracy (AFORD)convention with twist of events as the contender Frank Mwenefumbo declared himself the party President early in the morning on Wednesday sided by his supporters.
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This happened despite the incumbent AFORD President Enoch Chihana suspending the indaba proceedings due to security reasons for delegates.
But Mwenefumbo went a head with his own convention which he has been elected as new AFORD President with new national executive council members.
Addressing the news conference on the Wednesday after, Chihana described Mwenefumbo approach as primitive nature of doing politics.
Chihana emphasised the need for the nation to understand that the party constitution demand the seating president to open the convention followed with declaring seats then all positions are free to be contested which Mwenefumbo camp did not follow.
The AFORD President therefore declared Mwenefumbo convention invalid arguing that the Tuesday suspension of the convention opening will go on Wednesday where delegates will usher in new people into positions.
When asked if will invite the Karonga central lawmaker side, Chihana said the door is open for every one to partake into the final day of the indaba.
Chihana disputed the claims that he was taking the party as personal property considering that his father was its founder.
“This is not any one personal property. I am not in the shadow of my father but rather the love of the party. Therefore all procedures must be followed for legitimacy.
“We will proceed with the convention this afternoon to wide up the process of electing new office bearers as verification of authentic delegates is don not picking anyone in the street to the part and process of the convention,” said Chihana
On Tuesday, there is ugly scenes at the at Don Bosco Institute Centre in the capital Lilongwe whereby two camps; President Enoch Chihana and contender Frank Mwenefumbo were accusing each other of rigging the elections.
The Chinana camp was accusing Mwenefumbo of using illegitimate members entitled to vote.
Consequently, the party’s Secretary General Richie Bag missed before the process of voting which was later found suspecting to have carried documents of fake names for Mwenefumbo.
While other reports say the Malawi police apprehended a delegate to the convention who was found with pre marked ballot papers.
The May 1 date for the convention came after the High Court in Lilongwe Saturday night granted an injunction against Karonga Central Mwenifumbo, to hold a parallel convention on grounds that it is unconstitutional.
The court order comes after Mwenifumbo insisted that he would go further with the convention from April 27 to 28 despite the national executive committee resolution that the indaba be shifted to May 1.
The Karonga Central lawmaker argued that it was the court order that advises the party to hold a national convention.
However the court order did not specify a date to hold the convention.
AN injunction signed by judge Charles Mkandawire and obtained through the party’s lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa warned that Mwenifumbo could be arrested or his property seized should he proceed in holding the unconstitutional indaba on Sunday.
