Kaliwo dismisses resignation calls
Embattled Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Gustave Kaliwo has rebuffed calls by the party’s members of Parliament (MPs) for him to resign or risk being fired by party president Lazarus Chakwera.
Kaliwo spoke in an interview in reaction to the calls the legislators made during a news conference at MCP National Headquarters in Lilongwe yesterday.
Setting the ball rolling, MCP deputy publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma, who is Lilongwe East MP, said MCP was fed up with the conduct of its secretary general; hence, felt it was time the legislators acted.
He said: “We have watched the behaviour of Kaliwo for so long. Now, as members of the party, in fact all the 48 members of MCP in the National Assembly, are not happy with his behaviour.”
Dedza North MP Patrick Chilondola dismissed Kaliwo’s calls for a convention in July to resolve concerns raised by some district and regional chairpersons, calling it unfortunate. He said it was sad the list of delegates include deceased persons.
Said Chilondola: “His [Kaliwo’s] behaviour has really shown that he is tired. He needs to resign and, as a party, we are not in agreement with his proposed or scheduled convention. He doesn’t have the mandate to do so. Which people is he representing? He is just a confusionist.”
On why both the party and Kaliwo usually use the media to express their grievances, the MPs said they have had 12 meetings with Kaliwo. They alleged that Kaliwo has been uncooperative and has chosen a path to destroy the party.
But in an interview later, Kaliwo, a lawyer by profession, said he remains MCP and no one can force him to resign. He, however, dismissed suggestions that he has not been cooperative after being called for 12 times.
Said Kaliwo: “Unless the call they are making now that the president should fire me, then it is right. But I cannot resign. They know the party’s constitution right which leads to someone being fired or told to resign.
“If they have exhausted those ways and I am not cooperating, then their call for resignation and firing is justifiable, but for the moment being I cannot resign.”
On allegations that he is being funded to disturb the party, Kaliwo said he cannot agree or deny because no one can believe his response.
Recently, MCP, the official opposition in Parliament, has been embroiled in in-fighting with Kaliwo’s faction insisting on having a convention from 7th to 9th July in the Eastern Region even though the other fraction argues that the call is unconstitutional and lacks the blessings from the national executive committee (NEC). n
