APM, DPP still wasting our time
Folks , las t week I predicted more drama in the DPP following the initial endorsement of Peter Mutharika as the party’s torchbearer in the 2025 presidential elections by the party’s Northern Region Committee.
I said that after the stand taken by DPP vice-president for the region Goodall Gondwe and others, committees from the centre and south would follow suit and indeed this week we saw DPP vice-president for the centre Zeria Chakale and regional governor for the south Charles Mchacha making similar endorsements.
Firstly, you need to be a total stranger to be shocked by the worsening rivalries and divisions happening in this party, which unfortunately are leaving many of its supporters more confused and without any hope for the future.
As for me I am not surprised by the infighting in DPP because this is what the party does each time a general election looms and it appears this party made it a policy of some sort to demonstrate undemocratic tendencies when preparing to elect leaders in the NGC.
Just after the re-election of its founder, Bingu wa Mutharika, some overzealous members started endorsing his younger brother APM to take over just like that at the expense of many senior party officials, including the then party vice-president Joyce Banda and secretary general Henry Chimunthu-Banda who were also eyeing for the same position ahead of the 2014 polls.
What happened next? The DPP members tried all magic and successfully threw under the bus JB, Chimunthu and others that showed signs of challenging APM on the post of DPP president at pre-2014 elections convention.
The same happened around 2017 when the name of Saulos Chilima, then DPP vice-president, started making rounds as a possible challenger of APM at the convention planned before 2019 polls. The next moment we saw DPP roughnecks and some senior officials parading all kinds of threats and intimidation on TV and radio that those planning to compete against the old man would see ‘red’ at the convention.
Eventually, Chilima pulled out, saying he did not want to be part of any possible bloodshed at the conventions. He subsequently formed his UTM Party and campaigned vigorously to garner support, including in DPP strongholds and we all saw what happened in the 2019 polls.
Just recently, APM also slammed those that said DPP lost the 2020 fresh presidential elections because of him (APM). I remember he called the names and put the record straight, saying DPP lost because of Chilima’s 20 percent vote ‘from DPP’ which SKC graciously handed over to incumbent President lazarus Chakwera following their alliance.
Now, APM and his DPP are back with their same old tricks. This party claims to be democratic but if you look at its dirty politics, you will realise its still very far from being called a democratic party.
Not long ago, the same APM stood on the podium and condemned the patry’s vice-president for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa for showing interest to contest for the presidency, saying it was too early to do so. That was after some party structures started endorsing Nankhumwa, who is clearly the biggest threat to the APM camp.
Now, all that is happening to Nankhumwa and others now is nothing strange. This is the same DPP using the very same script they used to block JB, Chimunthu, SKC and others from challenging APM at the convention to make sure that the old man remains on the hot seat. This is very dangerous.
The unfortunate part is that APM has made it clear many times that he regrets losing the 2020 elections and his point on SKC taking away DPP votes simply means he admitted the party’s mistake in 2017.
Today, DPP finds itself in the same scenario and team APM is busy fighting Nankhumwa who is not an ordinary member of the party. He is an elephant too and commands a huge following on the ground.
But as they say, some people will always repeat the same mistakes they have made their entire lives, then question why misfortunes follow them each time. Otherwise, consider DPP a democratic party at your own peril.
