Tag Archives: MCP convention

Politics

Chakwera calls for unity, hard work among MCP

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

By Hastings Yobe & Patience Longwe

LILONGWE-(MANA)-President of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who is also State President Lazarus Chakwera has thanked all party members who volunteered and donated for the party’s convention.

The President said this on Saturday at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) during the closing ceremony of the party’s 2024 elective convention.

“I want to thank all party members who run small businesses all over the country but still decided to donate their income to support the convention because this is what is needed for the stronghold of our party,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera further urged the newly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) members to be hardworking, committed and work as a team.

“You should keep in mind that the people who have elected you are united, hardworking, lovers of peace and do not bring anything opposite to this. We respect the rule of law and not strength of individuals,” Chakwera said.

Newly elected Secretary General, Richard Chimwendo Banda, emphasized on the need for the new committee to work in unison in order to achieve better results.

“I strongly advise for peace to those who are in the party. We must work together even with those we were contesting against on the same seat we are on now. We must remember that we are children of the same family,” said Chimwendo.

Chimwendo also thanked the delegates for choosing what he called democratic leadership.

“This convention has proven that our delegates know what is best for the party because they have voted each position wisely,” said Chimwendo.

The MCP elective convention started on Thursday, August 8.

Opinion, Politics

Lessons from MCP Elective Convention: Money alone can’t put politicians into power accolades

Rick Dzida

Many social media platforms are pregnant with the recent elective convention which is being held at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) where the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) delegates are voting members into executive positions.

Some shocking unofficial results have started trickling in. Pertinent question that remains unanswered is, what lessons can be learnt from the recent MCP elective convention?

Firstly, the MCP convention has proved that President Chakwera is so feared that no one dared to challenge him and this is why he won the party presidency unopposed. This is contrary to modern democratic values.

Secondly, money alone cannot put a politician into the accolades of power. It is on record that many politicians such as Eng. Mumba, Ken Zikhale and Eisenhower Mkaka who openly splashed money to woo electoral votes have dismally failed to win the elections.

It seems like voters can still accept the bribe but they are clever enough to vote objectively. It is an insult to one’s dignity if politicians think that a delegate can be bought to vote in their favour.

Thirdly, the sky is the limit in politics. What is important is one’s determination to excel in life.

For example, it is interesting to note that the new MCP Eng. Mumba has put enough votes even to surpass the votes of Ken Zikhale by a large margin.

In fact, Eng. Mumba could be likened to the late Saulos Chilima who amassed over a million votes in 2019 presidential elections within 9 months of forming his own UTM party.

Fourthly, it is an open secret that winners of the recent MCP convention have been with the party for a long time. Richard Chimwendo and Catherine Gotani Hara are well-known for their industriousness and dedication to MCP.

Fifthly, the MCP convention has taught us that there are no untouchables in politics. It is a surprise that notable MCP gurus such as Ken Zikhale Ng’oma and Moses Kunkuyu have unashamedly lost the elections.

The sixth lesson from the MCP convention is that it seems like voters are tired of recycled and unscrupulous politicians. This is why there is generally a paradigm shift of accommodating the new blood in Malawian politics.

Seventhly, our judicial system has proven to be effective and unbiased by upholding constitutional rights of Eng. Mumba to contest for a political position at the time when MCP resolved to sideline him.

The eighth lesson is that MCP has maintained its status quo to be the first mover to conduct a national elective convention before any other political parties.

It is on record that MCP was the first political party to convene a similar function in the run up to 2019 tripartite elections. Furthermore, Lazarus Chakwera that time was the first presidential candidate to announce his running mate, Late Sidik Mia.

Ninthly, by allowing Jessie Kabwira to contest for the position of publicity secretary after she was earlier excommunicated from the party, MCP has proven that its open door policy is an asset. Interestingly, she has scooped the position she was vying for.

Last but not least, many Malawians are bamboozled at how MCP enjoys voting during the middle of the night. What is interesting is that Eisenhower Mkaka, MCP Secretary General who is well-known for advocating midnight politics of witchcraft has dismally flopped during the recent MCP convention.

Politics

MCP convention: Chakwera chides aspirants “buying” delegates for votes

MaraviPost

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazurus Chakwera has vehemently condemned aspirants who are “buying” delegates to vote for them in the in an ongoing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) elective convention.

Chakwera, who is also MCP leader made the condemnation when he officially opened the party convention at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in the capital Lilongwe.

He observed that the development s happening amid concerns of rising corruption in the country.

This comes amid some aspirants who have been openly dishing out millions of money to delegates ahead of the convention, raising serious concerns, suspicions and questions about the source of the money.

“Enticing delegates with money amid corruption concerns is bad. Do not buy positions. It is not good for the party. I urge you all delegates to vote wisely, without considering whether or not you a candidate has given you money.

“Vote for hardworking and servant leaders who will serve the party diligently and help it to return power in the 2025 general election”, said Chakwera.

Chakwera therefore expressed optimism that MCP will win the forthcoming general election, citing the party’s winning of most of the by-elections conducted in the past four years.

He also challenged MCP members to choose people with good leadership qualities and the interest of people at heart.

Chakwera however said he cannot dictate to people who should be their leader.

In his speech earlier, MCP 2024 elective convention steering committee chairperson, Kezzie Msukwa, called for loyalty to the president and the party from all members.

MCP convention is expected to usher in new leadership apart from Chakwera himself who has been already endorsed for 2025 Presidential elections.

Malawi, Politics, Top News

MCP admits convention rushed to deter injunctions

Special Absalom

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has admitted that it held a quick convention after the Supreme Court vacated an injunction their embattled former secretary general Gustave Kaliwo took as one way of avoiding further injunctions.

Re-elected MCP president Lazarus Chakwera said this on Sunday night when he officially closed the convention which took place from May 11-14 at the party’s headquarters at Lilongwe City Centre.

Chakwera observed that the injunctions derailed the new agenda for the party as the legal battle between the party and the Kaliwo camp—which also included Richard Msowoya, Tony Kandiero, James Chatonda Kaunda and Jessie Kabwila—brought the party to a standstill as time was being spent at the courts instead of discussing important issues.

“I would like to appreciate the organising committee for their preparations of the convention. Though they did it in a hurry, but here we are by the grace of God we have done it. We had to do it as soon as possible after the vacation of the court order to avoid the running battles on an injunction that was there,” said Chakwera.

MCP has been in running court battles with its former Kaliwo and four others for suspending them in the party after Kaliwo called for an emergency convention mid-last year.

Chakwera obtained a court injunction stopping Kaliwo from holding an emergency convention for the party from July 7 to 9 2017 with parallel structures.

Kaliwo told the media in Blantyre to prior to the indaba then that he called the convention to clear their differences based on Article 40 of the MCP constitution which states that district committees or the national executive committee (NEC) are mandated to call for a convention.

According to Kaliwo, half of the district committees called for the foiled convention.
However, the case was discontinued last month (April) by Chakwera on the grounds that the matter could better be resolved within the party.

But despite this, there was an injunction again at the High Court in Blantyre which restrained the party from holding a convention which it had planned from April 29 2018.

According to a court order signed by Justice Mike Tembo on May 7 2018, the party was not supposed to hold a convention until matters relating to the suspension of Kaliwo and the other four was resolved.

After the order, the MCP NEC reinstated the five in their positions before calling for the convention which ended Sunday night.

However, Kaliwo has continuously said the convention was illegal and that according to the party constitution, Richard Msowoya is the acting party president.

Livingstonia University political analyst George Phiri described the convention as an act towards undermining democracy by distributing positions instead of voting.

Phiri said by just distributing some positions, some people given the positions may not be able to perform.

“In summary, I can say democracy has been undermined greatly. We have also seen gender insensitivity in the positions. They could have allowed people to contest as those who wanted to contest wanted to deliver, but what has happened in undermining democracy,” said as quoted by Nation Newspaper.

Kaliwo, Kabwira, Msowoya and others are yet to respond to the outcome of the MCP convention.