The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led by New Comer to Malawi Politics Lazarus Chakwera, through its Deputy Spokesperson Ezekiel Ching’ona has assured members across the nation that the party remains prowess despite what he terms internal minor squabbles which will be rectified and will end up making the party stronger.
The assurance comes amid tension after the party’s President Lazarus Chakwera reshuffled the National Executive Committee (NEC) which saw Felix Jumbe (Salima Central legislator) re-deployed to strategic planning directorate as its deputy director from the position of campaign director while Joseph Njobvuyalema (Lilongwe rural-Mapuyu South lawmaker) as the deputy director for international affairs .
Some quarters of the society speculate that two portfolio’s reshuffles was a move to silence Jumbe and Njobvulalema who are seen as competitors to the party’s leader Dr Lazarus Chakwera while others back these moves as the way of positioning party ahead of 2019 general elections.
The development has also even implicated Jumbe for mobilizing the party’s district chairpersons to sign a petition against what Chakwera did saying he raped MCP’s constitution that only convention can guarantee its leader’s NEC reshuffle.
But speaking in an exclusive interview with The Maravi Post on Thursday, September 10, Ching’oma who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe rural East constituency defended his President sating the party constitution was never violated but rather observed in the right manner.
Ching’oma said those accusing Chakwera’s NEC reshuffle were ignorance about the party’s constitution’s mandates for the smooth running of MCP saying the 2013 convention gave its leader powers to make further appointments upon failure to fulfill all NEC positions.
“The party’s last convention only elected individuals to positions of president and its vice, secretary and treasurer Generals. The same convention mandated the new president-elect to make further appointments for the remaining posts and this exactly what Dr Chakwera has fulfilled.
“However, on NEC’s reshuffle, the president has done nothing wrong unless if he fired someone out of NEC, then that could be a sin because the party’s constitution clearly stipulates that any person puts in a position and elected by the convention will never be removed until the same convention decides. This the reason when MCP’s former
Secretary General Chris Daza when tussled with it’s the then leader John Tembo, the court ruled out in favor of Daza because the party constitution is clearly on that”, clarifies the youthful spokesperson Ching’oma.
When asked if Jumbe brought the attention of the party’s NEC over his dissatisfactory being appointed as deputy director of strategic planning, Ching’oma condemned the attitude of some members who rash to the media than seeking audience with the party’s leadership.
“It’s the same as your daughter or son goes out to tell your neighbours how badly you treat them instead of coming directly to you with their grievances for amicable solutions. This is the spirit has been all along with our colleague, honorable Jumbe. Despite being loyal to NEC meetings, he has never come open with issues like what we
are hearing from the media. In fact, he could have been happy now with such a portfolio as it’s the hub of the party which is also too involving. This shows how trust worthy he has been to the party’s president.
“What is happening now signifies how tactical and good MCP looks as some members are repositioning themselves to be part of the success story when we take the reign of power in 2019. These are internal minor issues which will be rectified in shortest time and the public must not read too much on this.
“Therefore, let me assure our supporters that the party remains intact with strategic approaches lined up ahead in a bid to bail out Malawians from social-economic turmoil going through since 1994 as MCP stay put as the last hope for the country’s citizens”, promises Ching’oma.
