DPP: House so divided

Warring factions in the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) agree their disagreements are deep-rooted, but appear too mean to offer solutions and have instead opted to engage in blame-game.

Although the governing Tonse Alliance may have a suppressed posturing ahead of 2025, the  in-fighting in main opposition DPP may gift them that smooth sailing.

DPP vice-president (North), Goodall Gondwe, in an interview yesterday, squarely blamed the party’s unresolved differences on the Judiciary.

He said in almost all the cases they have had, the courts have decided against the DPP.

Gondwe said the party had a position on who they wanted as Leader of Opposition, but the courts decided to deny them that right as provided in their party constitution, and restored Kondwani Nankhumwa as Leader of Opposition.

“The courts have been against DPP through and through, and everyone knows that; it is not a secret. It is suspicious. If this was the position of the party as per our constitution, but the courts say no, what is that?” Gondwe wondered.

He said they are concerned that the main opposition party is so divided and not able to provide checks and balances as the case would have been if they were united, further pushing the blame on Nankhumwa and others for taking the party leaders to court. 

Gondwe said this was not the time for anyone to start posturing for presidential candidacy as the convention is slated to take place in 2023.

During the just-ended Mid-Term Budget Review Meeting, Nankhumwa went to Parliament without the blessings of the party’s top brass, including party leader Peter Mutharika.

In an interview yesterday, Nankhumwa said he is the legitimate Leader of the Opposition, duly elected as per parliamentary Standing Orders, sections 35 and 36, but the party leaders are refusing to accept it.

Nankhumwa said the only person who can resolve the differences in the party was Mutharika, but the former Malawi leader has opted to ignore him.

He said leaders must learn to swallow their pride and accommodate others, reminding his seniors in DPP that Malawi Congress Party (MCP), now in the governing Tonse Alliance had worst internal squabbles which led to violent physical attacks among members at Motel Paradise in Blantyre and Natural Resources College in Lilongwe during convertions, but they moved on to form a formidable and respected opposition party.

Chancellor College-based political analyst Boniface Dulani, in an interview yesterday, described it as ridiculous for the DPP to blame the courts for their differences.

He said the Malawi Judiciary has proved it to the international community that it is the most independent arm of government, arguing, in any case, courts in Malawi have ruled against the DPP when they were in power.

Dulani said it was time the DPP assessed itself why all the time they appear to get it wrong on legal issues. He urged the party to own up responsibilities of such legal blunders.

Dulani said it was perhaps understandable for the DPP not to find their feet in the opposition, being a party that was born when it was in government after the late Bingu, dumped the United Democratic Front to form it.

He said the in-fighting could be a process to rediscover themselves, adding that the two years they were out of government could have been short to learn the dynamics of playing the role of an effective opposition bloc.