It’s showtime at MCP indaba

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) convention that for two edgy days seemed destined for ruin amid legal battles, began in a glamorous style yesterday in Lilongwe.

Delegates, mostly clad in red—the party’s flag most prominent colour—swarmed around Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) with anticipation.

It is understandable. These are, by any stretch of imagination, new grounds for MCP. The jostle for positions is the fiercest in the party in modern times.

And the venue is not just any other. It is classy and, without a doubt, expensive to hire. But on a budget of K1 billion, the lavish political showpiece makes sense.

Serving sumptuous meals, yummy in appearance and taste, it is located in the City Centre—a stone’s throw from Capital Hill, the seat of power and that is what MCP is trying to show—a party in charge.

It is a deep contrast from years in opposition spanning over two decades. The most recent indaba was held at a near zero cost venue, MCP headquarters.

In the 2013 convention, which ushered in President Lazarus Chakwera as the party’s new leader and face of a repositioned MCP, took place at a low cost Natural Resources College on the outskirts of the capital city.

This convention speaks volumes of how the MCP has improved financially for everything at BICC had the aroma of opulence and abundance. Noticeably, there were free-for-all hotel standard snacks and meals enough for a gathering that counted in thousands.

At Umodzi Park, which houses BICC, President Hotel, Amphitheatre and Bush Bar, MCP supporters dotted all the spaces. They were clad in party clothes designed stylistically with Chakwera’s face looking out prominently—a departure from the past when founding president and party patriarch the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda was everything you could see on MCP regalia.

Though this was a tightly contested race for power—the mood was generally peaceful with supporters freely mixing even when the undertones were clear that they belonged to different camps.

Chakwera’s landing at the venue was even more unifying as supporters, regardless of their small groups, came together to welcome him with praise songs.

He reciprocated with his usual winning smile while waving at the gathering on his way to the packed auditorium where he opened the convention.