PP member Caesar Fatch quits
People’s Party (PP) member Caesar Fatch on Tuesday resigned from the party and subsequently announced his retirement from active politics.
Fatch, who also dramatically withdrew his candidacy to challenge Joyce Banda at the party’s convention ahead of 2014 Tripartite Election, said in an interview that he wants to concentrate on his business and family.
He, however, did not hide his frustrations that lack of leadership and willingness to resolve party differences amicably has contributed to his resignation.
PP leadership crisis worsened after Banda, who left Malawi soon after she lost the presidency to Peter Mutharika in 2014 polls, appointed Uladi Mussa as acting president.
Said Fatch: “It was my belief that the acting president would extend an olive branch to accommodate those who left the party and would like to rejoin the party as well as reaching out to new members who would like to join PP.”
PP publicity secretary Ken Msonda on Wednesday confirmed the party received the resignation letter on Tuesday and said they respect his decision.
He said departure or death of any party or family member is regrettable.
Ironically, Fatch’s resignation came at a time he and Msonda initiated the idea of reaching out to the party’s top brass to reunite them and bring peace after resentments that surfaced following appointment of Mussa.
The two approached Mussa, former vice-president Khumbo Kachali, Salim Bagus and Zelesi Gomani.
But Mussa, at a rally he addressed at Makhetha ground in Blantyre on Sunday, rubbished calls for convention coming from officials who are not happy with his appointment as an acting president.
He warned that a convention “may even be more destructive to the party”.
In direct reference to Kachali, Mussa said people that were calling for the convention were the ones that left the party when it needed them most. n
