BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Political commentators have described the country’s major parties as far from being democratic because of the ‘political dynasties’ that make them more of personal “collections” than mass-parties driven by people’s agenda.

In the Alliance for Democracy (Aford), president Enoch Chihana is a son to the party’s founding president and pro-democracy fighter Chakufwa Chihana.

The People’s Party, founded by former president Dr Joyce Banda, is said to be positioning her son, Roy Kachale, who is also Zomba Malosa member of Parliament (MP), to become the next leader of her People’s Party (PP) after firing its acting president Uladi Mussa.

Mussa claims he was thrown out of the party because Banda was clearing the path for her son to take over. But both Kachale and PP officials have refuted the allegations as unfounded.

A source close to Dr Banda, said the allegations made by Mussa are sad and aim to tarnish the image of the PP. the official said Mussa’s dismissal is the result of other issues and unrelated to who is the leaders of the PP.

The analysts responding to The Nation Newspaper question on what they make of a trend in political parties where sons or brothers of founding leaders tend to rise to the top, affirm that political parties are creating political dynasties and not mass political entities.

The trend is also seen in the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) where President Peter Mutharika, who is leader of DPP, succeeded his brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, who founded the party.

In United Democratic Front (UDF) where Atupele Muluzi also became president of the party after his father, Bakili Muluzi, who co-founded it.

Of all the country’s major political parties, perhaps the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is the only one that has not evolved into the genealogy of leadership pertaining to the founder.

Political scientist Ernest Thindwa from University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College said that it was unfortunate that in Malawi political parties are not mass-parties, but personal properties.

Thindwa observed that instead of being conveyor belts between citizens and government, the political parties have become the weakest link of the country’s democracy.

“People who form political parties, view them as their personal properties. They determine the leadership succession.” Thindwa said.

On his part, another political commentator Henry Chingaipe, said the country’s political parties were far from being democratic as they revolve around their founders and not membership and a set of ideas.

“This is a worrisome trend. It shows and reinforces the view we have always spoken about that our political parties are less of political parties but are more of family collections or family outfits.”
Chingaipe said there was very little effective intra-party democracy and what is seen is merely “choreography and semblance of democracy.”

George Phiri, a political scientist from the University of Livingstonia (UNILIA), corroborated with Chingaipe and Thindwa’s views, saying the parties have yet to open up and transform into parties of the people.

He said: “Instead, they are parties of families. In this case, it gives us history that democracy in Malawi is not a democracy that is practised elsewhere. Our democracy is quite unique, but people have not realised that this uniqueness is harmful because it can kill political parties.”

Phiri also noted the issue of funding where parties rely entirely on founders or leaders for survival has resulted in political dynasties.

But UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga said his party had always followed its constitution which allows anybody to contest for any position.

He said: “Any person whether an uncle, a nephew, a mother or father of any political leader who was there before has the right to contest for any position so let those who think that is not proper come up with a regulation stopping it or just challenge the leadership at a legitimate convention.”

Historian Desmond Phiri, in his recent DD Phiri Insight column published in The Daily Times bemoaned the political dynasties system arguing that under such a system a nation is served by mediocrities and not the best of the elite.

Chihana could not be reached for comment as his phone was out of reach whereas presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani and DPP spokesperson Francis Kasaila did not pick their phones when called.