Chakwera for intra-party democracy
Newly elected Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president the Reverend Dr Lazarus Chakwera has urged the party to embrace democratic principles, observing that good governance within a party is also reflected at national level.
In his acceptance speech to his new post at the close of the MCP convention in Lilongwe on Sunday, Chakwera also said for Malawi to move forward and develop, political parties should embrace policy-based politics rather than politics only meant to deal with political enemies.
He said: “If we practise good intra-party politics, it means we will also have good politics at national level. Good governance is like a mirror and whatever happens at national level reflects the practices in the political parties. If things are well in a political party, even government can perform better.”
Chakwera said Malawi as a country already has structures to develop, but what is needed is a change of the mindset on how politicians behave.
“We need policy-based politics. When I announced that I have joined politics, people wondered how, as a Church pastor who does not know politics, I will do politics just because there is a misconception about politics. However, the politics I am talking about is policy-based which is able to deal with issues,” he added.
Chakwera asked MCP members to start practising clean policies and said it was time Malawi started respecting laid-down policies as well as respecting its people instead of victimising individuals based on their political affiliation.
Outlining his vision for the party, Chakwera said 2014 is the year that MCP would get back into government, but said to achieve that, he needs support from God as well as from both the newly elected executive members and the outgoing national executive committee (NEC) members and the entire party membership.
He declared that with his election, the party has now started its journey towards forming the next government.
He also said this was time that Malawians should start being independent.
In his handover speech, former party president John Tembo called on the entire party to rally their support behind the new president.
Chakwera became the party’s new president after beating 10 other contestants during elections held on Saturday.
On Sunday, MCP elected former Cabinet minister Richard Msowoya as first vice-president with MacDonald Lombola as second vice-president and Chris Daza retained his position as secretary general.
Former broadcaster and diplomat Tony Kandiero became the party’s treasurer general while Chatonda Kaunda was named deputy secretary general after a resolution was made for the Northern Region to nominate someone to that position.
The Southern Region was given preference to nominate an individual for the position of deputy treasurer general, but its leadership said would propose the name later.
