DPP plans 2 conventions
Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has announced that it will hold two conventions, a mini and an elective gathering, in due course.
In an interview yesterday after a meeting of the party’s Central Committee on Wednesday, party secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey said the committee has set June 24 for the party’s national governing council (NGC) meeting to appoint dates for the conventions.
She said the first convention will be for delegates to adopt changes to the party’s constitution as proposed by the functional review committee while the second will be for delegates to elect new office-bearers.
Said Jeffrey: “At the mini convention, new clauses of the DPP constitution will have to be adopted as an aftermath of the functional review report. After that, then we will have an elective convention.
“We are now moving forward to strengthen the party. The NGC is meeting on June 24 to come up with dates for two conventions.”
She said her office will communicate the dates to the membership.
“From now onwards, all communication will be coming from me as secretary general. There will be no more confusion because we have agreed to move as one block,” said Jeffrey.
On Wednesday, the party through Jeffrey and party spokesperson Shadric Namalomba issued a statement on the matter, saying the Central Committee met in Mangochi to determine the date for the NGC meeting.
The statement reads in part: “In exercise of the powers vested in the central committee under Article 9 [5][d] of the DPP Constitution, to set the dates for meetings of the national governing council (NGC), the central committee resolved that the party shall hold the national governing council meeting on June 24 2023 at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
“The NGC will decide the dates for the extraordinary and elective conventions. Members of the NGC are hereby invited to attend this important meeting.”
The functional review committee, headed by DPP vice-president for Eastern Region Bright Msaka, also reviewed the party’s constitution.
The committee proposed that the party should only have two vice-presidents, moving away from the current system where it has four regional vice-presidents.
The new constitution also proposes that new members should be paying a joining fee determined by the NGC, renewable every two years, and that any member who voluntarily leaves the DPP for another political party shall not be allowed to re-join the DPP.
But last week, one of the DPP presidential aspirants Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is the party’s vice-president (South), expressed worry, saying he fears a constitutional crisis if the party goes beyond July 2 without holding the convention.
Article 9 (2) of the DPP constitution stipulates that members to the central committee are the party president, vice-presidents, secretary general, treasurer general, national directors of women and youths. There are nine (9) in total.
It is mandated to, among others, make interim appointments, arbitrate and settle disputes referred to by the disciplinary committee and set dates for meetings of the NGC.
