DPP to ask Chakwera to resign
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday dressed down leader of Opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera, describing him as lacking integrity and obsessed with delusions of political self righteousness.
The DPP told a news conference in Lilongwe it will take Chakwera, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, to task over his remarks suggesting that President Peter Mutharika and DPP had failed and will ask him to resign from the position of leader of Opposition in Parliament.
But in an interview yesterday, Chakwera simply said Malawians were the best judges.
He said: “Let the people judge. They [DPP] are also entitled to their opinion.”
Briefing journalists at DPP headquarters in Lilongwe, publicity secretary Francis Kasaila said it is Chakwera who has failed; hence, some members of his own MCP were demanding a party convention where they can replace him.
He said: “DPP will take Chakwera to task and demand proof and even ask him to resign as a leader of Opposition [in Parliament]. This could easily be the case now because he appears not to know his job. To be challenged on what he is saying is a rare and disquieting phenomenon to him as a former pastor.”
Addressing the same news conference, DPP acting secretary general Francis Mphepo said the party will meet Chakwera on the ground in 2019 during the general elections.
Two weeks ago, Chakwera said Mutharika has failed Malawians because for, among others, failing to live a modest lifestyle; failing to make Malawi a secure place for investment; failing to lure donors.
He said: “If Mutharika was serious about fighting corruption, he would have implemented this solution right now. These are simple solutions that can turn our nation’s fortunes around seem impossible for this government to implement, not because they are too difficult, but because they require the kind of integrity of leadership that Mutharika and his cronies clearly do not have.”
When The Nation queried what business DPP had in Chakwera’s leadership style and management of MCP affairs, Kasaila said in an interview later that his party was not attacking the leader of Opposition.
He also said DPP was responding because Chakwera attacked the DPP and its leadership instead of focusing on his party.
Said Kasaila: “Indeed, DPP has no business with what MCP is doing. But Chakwera made it our business, especially when he started spreading lies and yet government is doing a lot to address some of the challenges. Which other government has fed 6.5 million people in nine months due to hunger? Is that failure?” n
