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DPP ‘rebels’ anger APM

State House has said President Peter Mutharika is not amused that some of the three senior members of his party, who attended a meeting at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Tuesday, took the matter to the public.

The three beleaguered Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members—Mulanje West member of Parliament (MP) Patricia Kaliati, who is also the party’s national director of women, Blantyre East MP Noel Masangwi and the party’s national director of youth Louis Ngalande—were summoned to Sanjika to a meeting over leadership issues arranged by Lhomwe Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa.

Refuses to be blackmailed: Mutharika

State House press secretary Mgeme Kalilani disclosed in an interview on Friday that the President attended the meeting, but was not happy that some members decided to take the matter to the public and distorted the information.

Kalilani declined to disclose details of the meeting, saying he was not given that mandate. But he said the President was saddened and shocked by acts of some officials of the DPP he granted an audience to in good faith, but allegedly decided to twist facts to the public.

He said what President Mutharika is making out of the whole thing is an attempt by the ‘disgruntled’ party officials to blackmail him to make inappropriate decisions.

Kaliati: They are lying

“Each one of the three had their issues which they raised to the President, and he responded to them accordingly. I don’t have the mandate to disclose issues they raised, but they know them. The President is deeply saddened that one of them painted a different picture out there, with totally distorted and withheld information.

“That is callous and very unfair. His Excellency Professor Mutharika would like to put it on record that he will not allow to be blackmailed by anybody to make decisions that cannot serve the interests of Malawians better,” Kalilani said.

But a State House source, who attended the meeting, said each one of the three had issues they felt the President was not helping them on, regardless of the support they rendered to him when they were in opposition following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, after Joyce Banda became President.

Ignited candidature debate: Callista

“For example, honourable Patricia Kaliati told the President that she was [economically] suffering and there was nothing she is gaining despite the support she rendered to him and the party when they were in the opposition.

“The President asked her what she meant. Actually, the President said she was a member of Parliament [earning a living], she is in a number of parliamentary committees, so what exactly did she want?” the source said.

The State House source said Kaliati responded that the DPP government was not giving her businesses, yet tenders were being given to outsiders that never fought for the party.

The source said the President, apparently, did not believe what he heard and responded to Kaliati that as long as he is the President, he would not get involved in that because government businesses are tendered.

Kalilani: That is callous and very unfair

“The President warned that that is how Cashgate [the plunder of public resources] started. He told them if this is the issue that has riled them to revolt against him, they let it be.

“He repeated that he would not allow to be blackmailed for personal gains. He told them he can’t do it,” added the source.

But put it to her yesterday that this is what she raised to the President, Kaliati declined to comment on the issues, but said they were all lies.

“I cannot comment on those issues, they are lies. I am not a businessperson [to look for government businesses]. They are lying,” she said.

The State House press secretary, asked to comment on the business issues purportedly raised during the meeting, said authorisation he got was limited to the President’s displeasure with the other party’s handling of the issue that was private.

The infighting in the DPP is over the 2019 presidential candidate where a section of members wants Vice-President Saulos Chilima to replace Mutharika as a candidate.

While Chilima has not commented on the calls to be the party’s torch-bearer, Mutharika has declared he would represent the party in the May 2019 polls. Several party members have continued to endorse Mutharika as the party’s torch-bearer.

The President’s declaration that he would stand again was made few weeks after former first lady Callista Mutharika, wife to Bingu wa Mutharika, opened a hot debate after she came out as the first person to endorse Chilima’s candidacy.

Callista said his in-law, 78, was too old to run for office in the May 2019 polls and wanted him to pave the way for Chilima.

The Vice-President only broke silence recently when he condemned violence perpetrated by the party’s youth during the opening of the Parliament session underway, when youths disturbed the President’s speech, as they cheered him on and attacked his [Chilima’s] campaigners, Kaliati and Masangwi.

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