PP, DPP fight over 35 project committees

Malawi’s ruling People’s Party (PP) and opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have for the past three weeks been fighting for leadership of about 35 community development committees in Lilongwe.

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) officials who are conducting the elections saidlast Tuesday that the community development committees whose leadership the two parties are fighting for are crucial to the implementation of activities for the Local Development Fund (LDF) and Public Works Programme, among others.

According to the officials, PP leadership has been pushing for nullification of the committees whenever they are dominated by DPP contestants.

“We are failing to make progress on the elections because of the conflict between DPP and PP. This has been going on for three weeks now,” said one council official.

DPP Central Region governor Frank Katundulu on Tuesday said it was true that PP officials have been rejecting results of elections for community development committees in the district.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, some people find that we are too dominant on the ground and our members in the communities have been winning positions,” said Katundulu.

He said community development committees are not supposed to be political as they work directly with district councils to implement development projects.

PP deputy spokesperson Ken Msonda on Tuesday accused some council officials of favouring DPP contestants in the elections.

“The problem on the ground is that some council officials conducting the elections are DPP functionaries. Instead of being neutral, they are taking sides with DPP.

“In most areas, we have been accepting results of the elections when we lose but our colleagues [DPP] have not been accepting the results when they lose,” he claimed.

LCC acting chief executive officer Vito Mulura said the council is conducting the elections without siding with any political party.

“Community development committees are not supposed to be partisan. The committees are not party oriented and therefore the question of politics does not arise. It is unfortunate that some people are bringing in the element of politics in these elections,” said Mulura.