MCP yet to lift ban onconvention campaign

With six months to its convention, the governing Tonse Alliance main partner Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is yet to lift a ban on its members not to start campaigning for National Executive Committee (NEC) positions.

The party’s secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka informed all NEC members and regional chairpersons in August last year that campaigning for any NEC position is not allowed.

He further stated that NEC is expected to meet and give proper guidelines on all issues relating to the convention which is slated for August 2024.

Three MCP members we spoke to, one of whom is a NEC member, corroborated that the prolonged ban is worrying and that some members are afraid to speak out to avoid being vilified.

Said the NEC member who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals: “In the first place, the ban was a little harsh as MCP believes in democracy and fundamental freedoms. We, therefore, plead with the leadership to lift it and let members freely campaign.”

The party’s publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma on Thursday promised to comment on the party’s position on the ban, but did not respond by press time.    

Weighing in on the issue, political analyst Victor Chipofya observed that constitutions of most political parties in the country are silent on when members can start vying for NEC positions, arguing that the omission is a threat to intra-party democracy.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Chipofya said some senior party members may take advantage of the silence to push for individuals of their preference as the playing field is not levelled.

“This issue of when campaign opens has to be in black and white in the constitution to allow members the freedom to reach out to the delegates just like everyone else,” he said.

Agreeing with Chipofya, political and governance expert George Chaima pointed out that the MCP constitution does not bar anyone from campaigning for a NEC position, saying even President Lazarus Chakwera is campaigning.

He explained that though Chakwera is not speaking about vying for the presidency in 2025, his lieutenants have already started preaching about fielding him as a candidate.    

He said it will be democratic to let members do underground campaign and at an unofficial level.

Chaima added that, unfortunately, members without positions in the party have no platform to sell themselves.

He said: “The people who know their positions in democracy must also recognise their fundamental rights within the democratic State and I would advise that they should start campaigning now rather than wait for somebody to speak and give them an okay, other than that, they will lose visibility and will not achieve their intended goal.”

In April last year, the party’s NEC endorsed Chakwera as its 2025 Presidential Election torchbearer.

Since May last year, Chakwera has picked a string of endorsements from some of his party’s senior leaders, including Cabinet ministers as well as district chairpersons, especially from the Northern and Central regions.

The party’s second vice-president Harry Mkandawire was the first to make the declaration followed by Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara and Lilongwe Msinja North legislator Bintony Kutsaira.