MCP convention set for August 9

The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) yesterday agreed to hold its long-awaited national convention from August 9 to 11 2013.

The setting of the dates follows a day-long meeting the party’s national executive committee (NEC) held yesterday in Lilongwe.

In a brief interview, MCP spokesperson Jolly Kalero confirmed the dates and said the meeting will be held at the Natural Resources College in Lilongwe.

He could, however, not immediately be drawn to comment on the details as at the time of the interview, the meeting, which went on late into the night, was still in progress.

Initially, MCP had scheduled their convention for April 27 before it was indefinitely postponed with the party, citing lack of funding and appropriate accommodation as the major problem.

During the convention, the party is expected to elect a president who will also be the torchbearer in next year’s elections. Before yesterday’s meeting, incumbent party president John Tembo was facing a challenge from 11 candidates who would want to lead the party.

However, the party recently indicated that the candidates will be thoroughly scrutinised to check whether they are eligible to contest and there were expectations that yesterday’s meeting would chop off some of the contestants.

The challengers include party secretary general Chris Daza, former Malawi Assemblies of God president Lazarus Chakwera, former Farmers Union of Malawi (Fum) president Felix Jumbe, retired chief justice Lovemore Munlo, former Cabinet Minister Jodder Kanjere, former secretary general Betson Majoni, MPs Edwin Banda (Nkhotakota Central), Watson Makala Ngozo (Lilongwe Mpenu) and Joseph Njobvuyalema (Lilongwe Mapuyu South) and the party’s former director of political affairs Eston Kakhome.