Learn from past mistakes, DPP tells JB
Former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has asked President Joyce Banda’s administration to desist from blaming the past regime for what it called “every deficiency in managing the nation.”
DPP has also condemned the arrest of DPP Southern Region youth director Louis Ngalande and some of the party’s youths in connection with brandishing of pangas on the even of the July 20 2011 nationwide anti-government demonstrations. The party says the arrests were politically motivated.
But the ruling People’s Party (PP) has dismissed DPP’s claims, saying the allegations are a sign of a party desperate to regain its lost glory.
In a written statement issued last Wednesday, DPP—which until the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika on April 5 this year was the ruling party—said it would like to put the record straight that it has assumed its role as a constructive opposition party and that it will always advise the Banda-led government with an open mind.
Reads the statement: “This is why we would like to admonish the new administration of Mrs Joyce Banda against apportioning unjustified blame on the DPP. The new administration of Mrs Joyce Banda cannot attribute every mistake and their underperformance to ‘what the DPP did in the past’.”
But PP spokesperson Steven Mwenye described DPP as a “coward,” urging it to stop fabricating theories.
“As a matter of fact, we welcome the fact that they want to be a constructive opposition. The PP-led government is also looking for a strong opposition, but when it comes to arguments, let’s argue on facts,” he said.
On the contentious Section 65 of the Constitution, DPP threatened to take Banda to task for breaching the rule of law should she choose not to abide by what she told the British government, which is one of the country’s strategic partners.
The party argued that since the President recently admitted before UK Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Henry Bellingham, that it is up to the Speaker of Parliament to invoke it, she should desist from using her Executive powers to frustrate the same.
But Mwenye refused to be drawn into comment over the said constitutional provision.
