ZOMBA-(MaraviPost)—The opposition Peoples Party (PP) has expelled its Zomba Ntonya lawmaker Patrick Makina for poor working relationship with the party’s grassroots, structures and constituency leadership and toying with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Makina’s expulsion comes barely a week after the party suspended him following a request made by the district and constituency committee to the party’s leadership to discipline him for working with DPP in that constituency.
In the press statement released on Monday, July 11 and made available to The Maravi Post, the lawmaker Makina has been fired from party as both a member and a parliamentarian for abandoning his party structures in the district and working with DPP.
The statement signed by PP’s Secretary General Ibrahim Matola disclosed that “after listening to the party’s constituency leadership complaints and Makina’s views, the party found out that the two sides were irreconcilable hence the legislator’s expulsion from the party.”
“It is regrettable that your working relationship with our party grass roots in Zomba Ntonya Constituency cannot be resolved amicably hence this decision,” reads the PP statement.
This reporter’s effort to seek Makina’s reaction on this development proved futile as his mobile phone was out of reach after several attempts.
Dr Makina once served as General Manager of Malawi Development Corporation (MDC) and also chief executive officer for National Food Reserves Agency (NRFA).
He is the second lawmaker to be fired from the party after similar decision was made to Mzimba Hora MP Christopher Mzomera Ngwira for initiating the fracas which erupted in Mzuzu city in January this year.
The former governing Peoples Party has been marred with leadership crisis since its President Joyce Banda imposed herself into exile soon after the 2014 Tripartite Elections.
Even some party gurus have called for early convention as remedy to resolving wrangles rocking in the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.