DPP convention budgeted at K500m

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has pegged the budget for its forthcoming elective convention at about K500 million and newly appointed vice-president responsible for the South George Chaponda will chair the organising committee.

Speaking to journalists in Mangochi yesterday after a closed-door caucus for the party’s legislators called by DPP president Peter Mutharika, Chaponda said about 2 000 delegates are expected to attend the convention on December 26 and 27.

“I do not have the specifics, but it will be quite [a huge] sum of money. I am not so sure, but it should be over K500 million,” he said.

The party expects to source part of the funding from those vying for positions as presidential aspirants will be contributing K3 million each, vice-president K2 million each and directors K2 million each.

“We have now agreed to work on the 90 days which was given by the court, which means we will hold our convention on 26 and 27 [December] and we are moving towards that deadline and we think it will be done,” said Chaponda, who heads a 10-member committee.

He said candidates are yet to start campaigning for the positions until the main committee gives them the go-ahead, but those that were “too enthusiastic” had already started identifying positions that were vying for.

In an interview yesterday, Blantyre-based political analyst Victor Chipofya said the fact that Chaponda has been chosen as the chairperson mean that the Mutharika faction was leading the preparations.

He said: “Chaponda has been on Mutharika part, we should not run away from that DPP has two sides. If Chaponda has been chosen, it means the one taking the role is Peter.”

Chipofya said for the party to rebuild, there was a need for contact and dialogue between the two warring sides.

The former governing party’s leadership has been struggling to unite two factions within the party, with one led by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa who has been dragging the party to court on several issues.

Two weeks ago, Nankhumwa’s side held its own National Governing Council (NGC) meeting that set December 15 and 16 as days for the convention, but Mutharika led another NGC meeting last week that set the new dates for the convention.

Both Chaponda and Nankhumwa have expressed hope that the convention will end the wrangles ahead of the 2025 general elections,

Mutharika, who was defeated by President Lazarus Chakwera in the 2020 court-sanctioned presidential election, has hinted at standing again in 2025 and Nankhumwa said he would face him at the convention.

Meanwhile, Nankhumwa said it is unfair for his fellow party members within different levels of the hierarchy to blame him for the infighting when it is a collective responsibility.

Since its loss in the June 23 2020 court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election, the DPP has been entangled in infighting that has destabilised the party.

The bone of contention has been the party’s leadership succession, with Nankhumwa being at the centre for his alleged thirst for power.

The situation has since resulted in the party, which is the main opposition political party at the moment, failing to hold the government accountable amid divisions that have widened in the three years it has been out of power.

But Nankhumwa said at this stage, the DPP must move beyond finger-pointing and work together to heal the internal divisions for the greater good of the party.

He said: “I have been a victim of name-calling and all sorts of baseless accusations but despite that, I have always preached unity and I’m longing for the day the party will come together as one block.”

The Mulanje Central legislator on Monday declared that he will contest at the party’s convention, saying despite such challenges, including the divisions within the party, leaders need to aspire to leave a legacy of resilience and commitment to democratic values.