DPP members want NGC meeting
Three senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members have called on the party leadership to conduct a national elective conference to resolve the squabbles in the party.
Addressing a press briefing in Lilongwe on Monday, the three, DPP deputy director of operations Joe Thomas Nyirongo, deputy director of political affairs Frederick Malata, and Kenneth Msonda said the challenges in the main opposition party can be resolved only if the party goes for a national elective conference.
Speaking on behalf of the trio, Msonda said the DPP constitution states that the party’s NGC should meet at least once a year, but it has never met since 2018.
He said: “The best solution to the squabbles in the DPP is for the party to go for a national elective conference, and that decision can only be made by the national governing council.”
The three further alleged that DPP president Peter Mutharika is “under capture” and is not making any decisions.
“It is an undeniable fact that our party presidency has been captured by few greedy politicians for personal, political and financial gain. If the DPP is to form a strong opposition bloc in Parliament and form the next government, there is need to address the challenges as a matter of urgency through an elective conference whose date can be decided upon by the NGC meeting,” said Msonda.
He said it was unfortunate that people who are not members of the party are being allowed to campaign for party presidency, which is against the DPP constitution, citing the example of Prophet David Mbewe who recently announced his interest to run for the party’s big office.
Last Wednesday, Msonda and Nyirongo obtained an injunction gagging the recent appointment of new persons into the party’s NGC.
The two argue that the appointment is illegal and only meant to fulfil the wishes of Mutharika who is against his challengers.
The court order reads in part: “The defendant is hereby restrained either by itself, its servants, agents and/or otherwise from making further appointments to any position of the party until a meeting of the National Governing Council and/ or National Political Conference is convened.
“Restrained are either by itself, its servants, agents and/ or otherwise from implementing and/or recognising all those that were unlawfully appointed after the 2nd Day of October when the party unlawfully expelled some members of the central committee from the party.”
On Sunday, the DPP issued a statement, signed by the party’s administrative secretary Francis Mphepo, informing the party membership and all those affected by the injunction to “remain calm” as the party is making an application to the High Court challenging the injunction.
Reads the press release in part: “The DPP is making an application to the High Court to challenge and vacate the injunction because the recent appointments into the NGC and other positions were made in accordance with the DPP constitution under, and by virtue of powers vested in the central committee to make interim appointments to all positions of the party subject to final endorsement by the National Political Conference.”
But Nyirongo had argued in an interview after obtaining the injunction that the recent appointments were all illegal and only meant to suffocate duly elected persons. Last month, DPP vice-president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa claimed that the appointment of the 30 persons into the NGC was done to ensure that APM is surrounded by loyalists who can vote for him for a third term as party president.
