Nankhumwa linked to new political party

Fired Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice-president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa has been linked with the newly registered People’ s Development Party (PDP).

Nankhumwa’s personal assistant Rhodes Msonkho yesterday confirmed his involvement in the new party but referred The Nation to PDP interim secretary general Simeon Phiri who, in an interview, said the former DPP national governing council member is the new party’s president.

Phiri said the party was registered on April 26 2024 and plans to hold its first national convention in August this year ahead of the September 16 2025 General Elections.

He said: “The interim president is Nankhumwa. Malawians’ hope was on Nankhumwa even when he was in the DPP. So, since Nankhumwa was expelled from DPP, but Malawians still want him to lead the country, that’s why he was compelled to form PDP.

“Our party will go alone in the 2025 general elections and we are optimistic that we will win the elections as PDP. We don’t have any intentions to go into an alliance with other parties.”

Phiri could not give details of PDP’s trustees a n d o t h e r s e n i o r members, saying the party will give more details on Thursday during its first media briefing.

The establishment of the party comes three months a f t e r Nankhumwa, who is Mulanje Central legislator, said he will still be on the 2025 Presidential Election ballot despite his expulsion from DPP.

Commenting on the development, Catholic University of Malawi head of Political Leadership Department Chimwemwe Kandodo welcomed the party, saying it will give voters more choices in the forthcoming general elections.

But she cast doubt on the possibility of PDP winning the elections alone.

Kandodo also noted that the establishment of the new party would have an impact on the DPP’s outcome during the elections.

“For sure he [Nankhumwa] has taken some members from DPP, so in this sense, there is a possibility of DPP weakening due to the numbers of some members who have gone out of that political party,” she said.

But in a separate interview, DPP secretary general Clement Mwale said his party is not shaken by the establishment of PDP as it is not the first time former DPP members have formed political parties.

He said: “DPP, as a party, will never be shaken. You remember that PP [People’s Party] came from DPP and DPP was not shaken up. UTM came from DPP, it was never shaken up.

“We are more than strong now, so we are not even shaken and will never be shaken. We are on the ground.”

Nankhumwa is among 11people expelled from the DPP in January this year for allegedly undermining party president Peter Mutharika’s authority and disrespecting party leadership.

Prior to the expulsion, Nankhumwa was at the centre of the debacle in the DPP, which put him at loggerheads with senior party members, including Mutharika. On numerous occasions, he has been dragging the party to court, a situation that has destabilised the party.