JB must return or relinquish presidency

Chancellor College-based political analyst, associate professor Blessings Chinsinga, has said the suspension of Peter Kaleso as People’s Party (PP) administrative secretary is a result of power vacuum.

Chinsinga further said that PP leader Joyce Banda must decide now to either return home and lead the party or relinquish her position.
PP suspended Kaleso on Monday over alleged indiscipline and summoned him to a disciplinary hearing.

But Kaleso has told Nation Online that he was suspended for consulting provincial chairpersons to endorse Khumbo Kachali to take over as interim PP president.
PP northern provincial chair, Mzomera Ngwira, endorsed Kachali as interim leader last month in Mzuzu, but the endorsement received backlash from the party’s politburo.
Kaleso said he met four provincial chairpersons in Lilongwe last Thursday and that “all agreed that Kachali must take over until Joyce Banda returns”.
He also defended his move for not involving secretary general Ibrahim Matola, saying his job description as administrative secretary mandated him to conduct such meetings as it was not a full PP national governing council (NEC) meeting.
Said Kaleso: “Come what may, when the people start feeling the pinch that the party is not functioning properly, they will say Peter Kaleso was right.
“Why did all provincial chairpersons come to attend my consultation meeting? It’s because they are interested in ensuring that things go in the right direction. I cannot leave the party because some of us want to influence things from inside.”
Kaleso said the Lilongwe meeting endorsed Kachali and that he has no ill-will against JB being one of the people that advised her to form PP in 2010.
On Tuesday, JB appointed publicity secretary Ken Msonda to double as the party’s acting administrative secretary.
“With pleasure I am honoured to inform you that it has pleased the party’s founder and President H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda to appoint you as Acting Administrative Secretary (Acting Director of Administration) with immediate effect. Your position as Publicity Secretary remains, therefore you shall hold the two offices,” wrote PP secretary general Ibrahim Matola in an appointment letter dated September 1 2015.

Reacting to the appointment, Msonda said: “For a start, I will hold meetings with all provincial and district committees to brief them on latest developments in the party and prepare for our party founder and President HE Dr. Joyce Banda’s home-coming.”

But Chinsinga has urged JB to either return and lead the party or relinquish her position so that others take over the mantle.
In an interview today, Chinsinga said current squabbles in PP point to power vacuum, as the party cannot make decisive decisions due to the absence of JB.
“Joyce Banda needs to return and put the house in order, otherwise, what we see is a result of power struggle because there is leadership vacuum. Let her return, or give up power and facilitate smooth transition so that someone else takes over,” urged Chinsinga.
In May this year, retired chief justice Richard Banda wrote foreign missions and development partners in the country, asking them to intervene in “repeated political harassment and persecution” of his wife, JB, by the Peter Mutharika administration.

In a letter dated May 13 2015, the former chief justice said the family is convinced that “the many unsubstantiated accusations and allegations” could be a precursor to much more sinister motives.
JB left Malawi in September 2014 and is yet to return. A widely held view is that she fears arrest related to Cashgate, after key suspect, Oswald Lutepo, named her as a major beneficiary of the looted public funds, an allegation she strongly denies.