Following an impromptu National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that was held at Enoch Chihana’s residence in Lilongwe, NEC membets have refused to ratify the new AFORD constitution which was hurriedly written by a Malawian businessman based in South Africa, Maravi Post has established.
In one of the clauses, the new constitution bars people who have joined or rejoined the party within a year to contest for any position of the party at the forth coming convention in seemingly attempt to prevent Frank Mwenifumbo who rejoined the party in May this year through an organisation called REVAMP AFORD RAMO.
The meeting which ended inconclusively lasted until the wee hours of Wednesday with notable figures defying the leader of embattled AFORD President Enock Chihana from ratifying the new constitution.
Some of the notable figure attended the meeting were the party’s chairperson Gulani Guta chairman, First Vice President Martha Chiume and eastern regional chairman Mr Misomali.
However, the party’s Secretary General Christopher Ritchie has been absent from the meeting since Sunday when it started.
According to our source at the meeting, only 15 out of 46 NEC members attended the said meeting.
During the meeting, Chihana ordered that any member who want to contest on the position should pay K1 million and K25000 as agreed at first, as nomination fee.
Chihana also intimated that such nomination fees should be channeled through him and that he will later handover the funds to the NEC or deposit the funds into AFORD bank account.
The development forces some members to walk out of the meeting in disgust.
Reacting to the nomination fee, a renowned political pundit Joseph Chunga described the decision as unfortunate and a barrier to those who wants to content.
According to him, the fee is too much and that some members cannot afford.
Chunga said the party can use another way to source the fund than punishing members.
