Lawyer to dare JB at PP indaba

A Blantyre-based businessperson Caesar Fatchi is the only person who has express interest to challenge President Joyce Banda at the People’s Party (PP) convention on Monday.

In an interview on Friday, Fatchi confirmed expressing interest to contest the party’s presidency, saying he has campaigned to win at the convention.

“It is true I want to challenge the President at the convention because I have seen that nobody else is coming out to challenge her, which is not fair in a democracy. Right now, I am going to the [PP Southern province] office to fill forms.

“I want to challenge her to ensure there is democracy in the process,” said Fatchi.

Fatchi said he joined PP last year and runs transport businesses in Blantyre.

“I am a businessperson and have a degree in law,” he said.

PP provincial chairperson for the South, Ali M’balaka, also said Fatchi called him to express interest to challenge Banda at the indaba.

“Caesar Fatchi called me yesterday [Thursday] to say that he wants to vie for the party’s presidency at the convention. He said he will come to fill forms today [Friday]. We are still waiting for him to come and fill the forms,” said M’balaka.

He confirmed knowing Fatchi as a member of PP for a long time.

Weekend Nation had not yet confirmed whether Fatchi finally filled application forms to contest at the convention.

Apart from choosing the party’s president, delegates to the convention will also elect three vice presidents responsible for the party’s leadership in the Northern (operations), Central (political affairs) and Southern (administrative) regions.

M’balaka said the party’s treasurer general Brown Mpinganjira and Minister of Transport and Public Works Sidik Mia are still the only persons from the region who have expressed interest to contest for the post of vice-presidency at the convention.

In the Central region, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Uladi Mussa on Thursday also joined the race to vie for the party’s vice-presidency.

He has joined Chris Chaima Banda, Clement Stambuli and Cassim Chilumpha who also earlier expressed interest to contest for vice presidency, according to Mussa.

From the North, PP provincial chairperson there, Brown Soko, said only the current State Vice-President Khumbo Kachale has no challenger for the post.

Soko said other party members such as Harry Mkandawire and Frank Mwenefumbo have expressed interest to contest for other PP national governing council (NGC) positions, including treasurer general and deputy secretary general posts. PP is yet to disclose the venue for its convention.