Primary elections divide DPP MPs
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members of Parliament are still divided on a proposal to have the party hold primary elections in all the 193 constituencies.
This comes against the background of a caucus held in Malawi’s capital Lilongwe two weeks ago where DPP MPs failed to agree on the way forward, thereby forcing the party to pend its final position on the matter.
However, political analyst Mustafa Hussein has warned that the party would be spelling its own doom if it chooses to be selective in the way it holds the primary elections ahead of the 2014 polls.
According to sources within the party during the caucus held at Wamkulu Palace in Lilongwe, the party’s president Peter Mutharika and director of elections Kondwani Nankhumwa raised the matter, but the MPs failed to agree after it was clear that most of them did not support the idea.
In separate interviews, both Nankhumwa and DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi could neither deny nor confirm whether the issue was discussed during the caucus and what was decided.
Nankhumwa declined to comment, saying issues that were discussed during a party caucus meeting could not be discussed in the media while Dausi said he had to consult before committing himself to anything on the subject.
One of the MPs who attended the meeting, but spoke on condition of anonymity said most of the MPs who spoke on the matter felt that the party needed to hold primaries in only those areas it has no MPs.
Several MPs who The Nation has talked to confirmed that the issue was brought up, but that the party failed to come up with a final position following the differences.
Among several other key figures in the party who attended the caucus were Mutharika, Leader of the party in Parliament George Chaponda, Dausi, party chief whip Henry Mussa, Nankhumwa and general secretary Jean Kalilani.
Chaponda also declined to comment, arguing that doing so would be unethical.
The MP said, however, some of the MPs, including Mutharika, Nankhumwa and several new members, felt the party should go ahead with the primaries to protect its integrity and not to be seen as imposing candidates on the electorate.
