DPP takes fight to parliament
Infighting in the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) continues as the party’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba has taken Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa head on over decisions in the National Assembly.
Namalomba has since obtained permission from the High Court of Malawi Zomba District Registry to start judicial review proceedings against Nankhumwa in relation to party decisions.
In the court action where DPP is an interested party, the court has also put aside Nankhumwa’s decision to appoint a shadow Cabinet and party spokespersons on various issues in Parliament.
Besides, the court has also stopped Nankhumwa, who is DPP’s estranged vice-president for the South, from discharging his duties as Leader of Opposition in Parliament without prior consultation and written approval of the party until a further order of the court.
The order has further restrained Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara from accommodating Nankhumwa’s decisions in his capacity as Leader of Opposition without written proof to her satisfaction that DPP, as a party, was consulted and subsequently approved such decisions.
The court has also stopped Nankhumwa from rearranging the DPP legislators’ seating plan in Parliament which saw Namalomba, who is also Mangochi South West legislator, being pushed from his original seat.
Reads part of the order: “Any party hereto or affected by or interested in this matter has the unqualified liberty to apply to the court to vary or discharge or set aside or vacate this order by giving 48 hours notice to the claimant [Namalomba].”
High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula granted Namalomba his wishes in the judicial review case number five of 2022.
When contacted yesterday, Namalomba confirmed moving the court for its action on the matter while Nankhumwa was not immediately available for comment as we went to press around 9pm.
DPP administrative secretary Francis Mphepo told The Nation edition of February 28 2022 that cracks in the former governing party are widening because of Nankhumwa who, he said, was disrespecting the party’s president Peter Mutharika.
He said Nankhumwa does not attend caucuses Mutharika, the country’s former President, summons when the party’s lawmakers are going to Parliament.
“In Parliament too, the Leader of Opposition is supposed to call, in consultation with the party president, and chair caucuses. However, with the indiscipline and disloyalty of the current Leader of Opposition, such is not the case,” Mphepo said.
Governance expert Makhumbo Munthali is on record as having said that with such divisions, DPP would not be able to provide checks and balances to the Tonse Alliance administration.
Infighting in DPP started before the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election held on June 23 2022, but deep divisions came to light in August 2020 when the party’s secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey told The Nation that Mutharika had done his part and that there was need for new leadership.
