MCP South, East leaders back Kaliwo
\Some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leaders from Southern and Eastern regions have thrown their weight behind secretary general Gustave Kaliwo, challenging the leadership style of party president Lazarus Chakwera.
Kaliwo wrote a nine-page letter to Chakwera last week, advising him to take some actions to reverse the numerous challenges the party was facing and work on making it strong.
On Saturday, scores of MCP leaders from 11 Southern and Eastern regions’ districts told journalists in Blantyre that by writing their president, Kaliwo had demonstrated “maturity” to help the party deal with the unending wrangles.
Among others, the leaders included some district chairpersons, secretaries, treasurers, youth wing and women’s league leaders who were led by expelled Southern Region chairperson Dennis Nanthumba.
The districts’ representatives took turns to condemn their president while heaping praises on Kaliwo, describing him as a “mature, experienced and most stable” MCP politician.
The disgruntled district leaders further accused their president of making unilateral decisions, particularly in appointing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“Our ship has completely lost direction that is why we have been agitating for an early convention to sort out this mess and put the house back in order,” said John Chiluzi, Mwanza district chairperson.
According to the MCP constitution, the district chairpersons are the ones who have the mandate to call for the party’s convention.
Machinga district chairperson Wiskin Nonyela said if Chakwera has MCP at heart, he will reflect on issues and concerns raised by Kaliwo’s letter and act on them.
The representatives of the district structures also vowed to continue working with Nathumba, arguing he was unconstitutionally and unilaterally fired by Chakwera without following due procedures.
Reacting to the development yesterday, MCP deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said: “In politics you can be fired… These people know they have lost the plot. These are kicks of a dying [horse].”
He also said all along, the party knew that the secretary general was playing the district chairpersons’ game and “that’s why the case went into default judgement against us.” n
