MCP intervenes on internal dispute
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has appointed a committee to assess concerns some members have raised over the party’s resolutions ahead of its elective convention in August.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, MCP director of legal affairs Titus Mvalo confirmed receiving several letters raising concerns, but said internal processes were underway to resolve the issues.
He said: “This internal process is about the same issues being raised, it is not about the entire convention. But these issues are being looked into and I will provide a response on how we have gone about these issues once the process is complete.”
Some disgruntled MCP members have asked President Lazarus Chakwera and Mvalo, who is also Minister of Justice, to intervene on the in-house disputes over selection of delegates to the convention and filling of vacancies in regional committees.
The other issue relates to the decision by MCP national executive committee (NEC) barring members who have served less than two years and those without any position in the party from contesting for NEC positions at the convention scheduled for August 8 to 10.
On May 24 2024, MCP member Eddie Banda wrote Chakwera, saying the new policy barring others should be subjected to the convention before any implementation.
He said implementing amendments to the MCP constitution, disguised as policies, sets a troubling precedent for the party, and undermines the integrity of the MCP constitution.
Reads Banda’s letter: “Members who have recently joined our esteemed party are questioning whether they will also require a two-year minimum membership to vote for you, in the general elections.
“Most district chairmen have since reported that potential grassroot MCP members are reconsidering their affiliations due to feeling aggrieved by this policy. These developments will surely make it challenging to welcome new members into the party.”
Reacting to the developments, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace national coordinator Boniface Chibwana urged the MCP leadership to realise that a stalemate on the matter was a recipe for disaster.
He said: “The party should quickly rectify these issues by making proper clarifications to its membership on the laws governing the party on issues relating to holding conventions and appointing people to positions through filling up vacancies.”
In a separate interview, governance pundit George Chaima said Chakwera has the power to lead in resolving any internal disputes without entertaining a stalemate.
But University of Malawi law professor Garton Kamchezera, in an earlier interview, said the NEC was acting within the law to come up with convention regulations.
However, he said the decision can be challenged at the convention based on Article 63 of the MCP constitution.
