By: Lloyd M’bwana
In its continual questing to revive grass root structures, the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has scheduled to hold northern region committee elections slated for January 30, 2016 in the green city of Mzuzu.
This comes barely some months after the party successfully held two regional committee elections in the South and Central where the old and young ones have been blended into leadership drumming for 2019 elections.
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) candidate.
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.
Addressing the new conference in the capital Lilongwe co-hosted by MCP’s Spokesperson, Director of elections and shadow legislator for Lilongwe City South East, Dr. Jessie Kabwira, Maxwell Thyolera and Ulemu Msungama respectively.
The duo, Kabwira and Thyolera emphasized the need for party members in the region to usher into power individuals who share MCP ideologies while on the same time keeping the momentum the party enjoyed during the 2014 tripartite elections whereas the region gave it moral support with elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and councilors.
“The northern region committee elections will cater two sub regions namely North-North and North South on Saturday, January 30, 2016 in Mzuzu where all positions are to be contested. All 90 positions and the main 9 posts are there for grabs including regional chairman, secretary and treasurer, regional youth director, secretary and
Treasure and also regional women league chairperson, secretary and treasurer.
“This is the journey started last year of complying the party’s constitution which stipulates that elections must be held in all regions hence this arrangement. The elections also aimed at empowering our grass root supporters in building the party by putting workable team which can win general elections.
“The elections are the reflection of the party’s transparency, accountability and democratic tendency in running its affairs which the general public can still trust when it will carry the reins of power in 2019 as we have proven to be the only party that can bail Malawians from social-economic turmoil currently going through”, assures Thyolera.
During the briefing Kabwira and Msungama took a swipe at Malawi Police Inspector General (IG) Lexten Kachama’s declaration made on New Year eve that MEC warehouse‘s fire damage was a mere accident and not ignited by a person which the duo demanded justice on the matter saying the party was shocked with the purportedly report as fake and demand a comprehensive report on the same from an independent investigators.
“I was shocked when I heard from the IG Kachama that the MEC office fire damage was just a mere accident not a man made. I though justice will come on this. This a worrisome situation regarding to the stages the matter has gone through”, worried Msungama who successfully challenged the results for the disputed Lilongwe City South East Constituency 2014 elections which saw MEC declaring Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Bentrey Namasasu declared as a winner as MEC warehouse damage covered up containing evidence.
“The scenes behind this matter are beyond our thinking. MEC warehouse was burnt just a day prior to the recount of the votes ordered by the court but after the damage the same DDP candidate served us with an injunction. Since October, 2015 nothing has materialized.
“While we are still waiting court determination, it’s when the IG came up with this shocking news. However, we are to maintain with the legal procedure till the matter is closed. If nothing happens will go back to residents of this constituency for advice what course action the party to take”, fumed Kabwira.