DPP blocks party members from talking to media

Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has gagged its members from speaking to the press, restricting the role to Peter Mutharika’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba.

However, some party officials faulted the order yesterday, saying they will not yield to such dictatorial decrees.

The statement the party released yesterday signed by Namalomba follows divisions in the party after some regional committee leaders have been trading insults after endorsing Mutharika to lead the party in the 2025 Tripartite Elections.

It also follows outbursts by the party’s regional governor for the South, Charles Mchacha who last week urged Mutharika to hand over power as per his promise.

But Namalomba said before engaging the media, the members must first seek consent from Mutharika, further advising the media to avoid engaging other members on official party business, exept him.

“The pres ident of the party is, therefore, encouraging all members of the party to refrain from speaking to, and with the press on party matters. Furthermore, the media is strongly encouraged to contact the official spokesperson of the party for all party matters,” he said.

But DPP national publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi, who was elected at the party’s 2018 convention, said he will not obey such orders.

“I am the publicity secretary for DPP. I was elected at the convention. It’s only the convention that can tell me not to speak,” he said.

The Mwanza Central legislator said in a

 democracy, the power to have a position is through elections, not appointment.

“In my case, I don’t speak on behalf of an individual, but for the party. Until we go to a

 convention and elect another person, only that time can the party have power to start restraining people from doing their constitutional role,” he said.

Early this month, Dausi led 16 legislators in faulting Mutharika’s endorsements and demanded a convention to elect leaders.

During a press conference in Lilongwe, the DPP lawmakers argued that it is only through a convention that the party can elect its presidential candidate for the 2025 elections.

Dausi said the endorsements risk dividing the party further, thereby weakening its strength as the main opposition party in Parliament.

He said it was important that the convention takes place before the expiry of the tenure for the current national governing council (NGC) in July this year.

DPP vice-presidents Goodall Gondwe (North ) and Zer i a Chakale (Central) and regional governors Christopher Mzomera- Ngwira (North), David Kambalame (Centre) and Mchacha (South) all endorsed Mutharika to be the torchbearer in 2025 despite APM himself not openly expressing interest to stand.

However, Mchacha, who was fired by the party and reinstated on the position by the court last week, said the current endorsements of Mutharika by other members were against the party’s constitution.

Governance and political pundit George Phiri said the DPP chaos only signals a broken party, with no one to provide direction.

He said: “If people don’t know who is leading, everyone decides to lead, and that is what is happening in the DPP.

“Mutharika has a problem of organising the party in a way that it should recognise positions of people elected during the convention in 2018. Namalomba was not elected at that convention , it was Dausi.”

Earlier, political analyst George Chaima said the DPP lacks proper guidance from the leadership.

“Every institution needs a leader with wisdom, vision and agility to steer the party further rather than killing it. When we look at the leadership style of Mutharika, you can only conclude that he is bent at killing the party,” he said.

Cracks in DPP came to light in August 2020 after estranged secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey told The Nation that Mutharika had done his part and that the party needed a new person to lead it into the future, calling for an early convention.