MCP, DPP in verbal tirade

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are embroiled in a verbal exchange over DPP’s decision to expel several errant members, including former vice-president responsible for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa.

DPP on Saturday fired Nankhumwa, former secretary general Grezelder Jefrrey and suspended several other national governing council (NGC) members after the party’s disciplinary committee found them guilty of flouting the constitution.

Reacting to the decision, MCP publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma said the move was a “a dangerous precedent” that threatens the democracy of the country.

But DPP presidential and party spokesperson Shadric Namalomba yesterday laughed off MCP’s statement and accused the key partner of the governing Tonse Alliance of sponsoring labels in DPP.

He said MCP should mind its business and focus on fulfilling campaign promises that lured Malawians to vote for them.

Reads the DPP statement in part: “Further, the MCP knows the DPP will put strong leadership in parliament and tightly hold government to account. MCP is afraid of being held to account.”

In separate interviews, political and governance commentators Humphrey Mvula and Andrew Kaponya faulted MCP’s statement, saying it is ill-placed and ill-timed.

Mvula said the party has a precedent where it also fired some of its members in 2016 as part of its rebuilding process.

Kaponyam, on the other hand, noted that the MCP statement, condemning DPP’s action raises questions of its integrity.

“When it comes to issues of integrity on whether the MCP has that integrity to question decisions made by another party on the lines of disciplinary,” he said.

Political scientist Henry Chingaipe noted that what has happened in DPP in firing some senior party members before elections also happened in Alliance for Democracy (Aford), United Democratic Front as well as MCP.

He observed that almost all the decision for political parties to fire some of their members is a question of succession in the country’s political parties.

Besides Nankhumwa and Jeffrey, DPP also expelled Zomba Chisi legislator Mark Botomani, former director of women Cecilia Chazama, publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi, Joe Thomas Nyirongo, and Ken Msonda.