By: Lloyd M’bwana
The leading opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) National Executive Committee (NEC) through its Director of Public Relations Alekeni Menyani has vehemently defended the leadership of Lazarus Chakwera saying he is following the constitution when manning the party.
The defense comes barely two days after the party’s four regional chairpersons over the weekend accused Chakwera of raping MCP constitution that the party was losing direction in its affairs.
In a letter dated January 9, 2016, The Maravi Post has seen, the four chairpersons namely Baza Kaunda, Stowell Gondwe, and Bauleni Mkweza, and Abi Jana (but now withdrawn from the list) for North-South, North-North and Lakeshore respectively were concerned with the silence from Chakwera after the party’s Administrative Secretary Potipher Chidaya and other party officials were beaten up last year in Blantyre.
Not only that the group also accused MCP leader of nepotism, claiming that the majority of positions in the party are held by people from Lilongwe where Chakwera also comes from.
“Does this imply that this party is now only from Lilongwe? Imagine that Second Secretary General, Administrative Secretary , Treasure General and deputy, Director of elections, Director of youth (Louis Chankwantha) Director of Women (Majankomsi), Honorable Belekanyama, Ching’oma, Dzole Mwale Chimango are all from Lilongwe just to mention a few”, reads in part the letter signed by Baza Kaunda, Stowell Gondwe, Bauleni Mkweza and Abi Jana.
Apart from that the disgruntled chairpersons blame Chakwera for apparently giving more powers to Members of Parliament (MPs) and not respecting constituency, district and regional committees therefore challenged MCP President not to conduct meetings or elections until a convention is held.
But, addressing the press conference on Monday, January 18, in the capital Lilongwe and co-hosted by Menyani, Mandaliza Dzonzi, Manjankhosi, Chiumia MCP’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Campaign director, Women Director and Nkhotakota district chairperson respectively, the party defended its leader saying Chakwera has done nothing wrong breaking the constitution rather giving freedom to all members to meet him when issues arise.
The party observed with concerns that the disgruntled chairpersons failed to follow right procedures of presenting their grievances instead they used the media than its disciplinary committee where all matter of that nature are resolved.
“We received the letter but after they (chairpersons) presented their issues to the media over the weekend. All in all, they are party members whom we cannot disown because are our children who have been with the party for a long time. Only that their grievances were wrongly presented as our President Chakwera wasn’t given a chance to say his part.
“What we have observed in them, it’s a sign of elections fever as you are aware that their regions will undergo elections starting with North-North, South-North on January 30, then later with Eastern and Lakeshore in February as such we advise them to start collecting nomination papers from the headquarters ahead of the elections than being used by other misguided external forces to disrupt the party’s settlement”, urges Menyani.
On Chakwera’s nepotism tendencies, Dzonzi refused the claims arguing that the MCP high office (Vice President) was occupied by a northerner while Secretary General is from Eastern region specifically Zomba saying the party will always consider able individuals in its strategic positions for its strength.
Dzonzi further said the party’ constitution allows calling of the convention after two third of the NEC members or 50 % of district chairpersons have agreed as such calling for convention by only four people was a joke which the party will not allow to happen.
Mayi Majankhosi who was emotional took swipe at the party’s detractors urging them to give Chakwera moral support in manning MCP which according to her the party under him has managed to win many hearts across the nation.
Therefore, in its continual questing to revive grass root structures the party has scheduled to hold northern region committee elections namely North-North and North-South slated for January 30, 2016 in city of Mzuzu while in the Eastern and Lakeshore regions will have their elections in February.
MCP managed to successfully hold two regional committee elections in the South and Central last year-2015 where the old and young ones have been blended into leadership drumming for 2019 elections.
However, the party is yet however to get a tactical formula of winning southern region trust with the just ended December 22, by-elections results where there was a wide margin of votes cast between MCP and governing Progressive Democratic Party (DPP) candidates.
MCP narrowly sustained its supremacy at central region for scooping two wards while the DPP retained a constituency seat in the eastern region in low turnout by-elections.
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