United Transformation Movement (UTM) has postponed its elective convention which was initially scheduled for November 9.
In a statement issued Monday, signed by the movement’s spokesperson Joseph Chidanti-Malunga, the grouping says they have set up a special committee which will look at all the processes involved in organising a convention.
Chidanti-Malunga also confirmed the development in a telephone interview, saying there were other issues the grouping needed to sort out before holding the indaba.
“There are some technical issues we need to deal with; for example, we need to make an announcement of aspiring candidates and minimum requirement [to contest for positions]. You recall that when we announced the date of the convention, we did not announce the positions [that will be contested for].
“All technical issues surrounding the convention were not met; so, right now, UTM has set up a committee that will look into that,” he said.
Chidanti-Malunga further said the grouping has shifted its regional conferences which were supposed to start this weekend in Nkhotakota and Karonga respectively.
“The regional conferences have been shifted so that we have enough time to organise them and make sure that our colleagues are going to attend the conference as well as know when and how the conferences will take place,” he said.
Chancellor College-based political analyst, Mustapha Hussein, said the group has to sort out issues of registration in order to give aspiring candidates hope.
“We still have a few months to go but the thing I can say is they [UTM] need to sort out issues of registration as well as the convention as soon as possible because they are running out of time. It is important that they ensure that the group is registered as a party and hold a convention. This, in turn, will send a message of hope to its aspiring candidates,” he said.
The Malawi Congress Party was the first to hold its national elective convention followed by the Democratic Progressive Party, United Democratic Front and the Peoples Party.