Suleman says DPP must sober up

Blantyre City South East legislator Sameer Suleman says it is time for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to sober up to win the September 2025 General Elections.

With 19 months to the elections, he said the party needs to stop infighting and strategise to win the polls.

Suleman said the desire to see his party unite and return to power compelled him to withdraw from the case in which 22 legislators challenged the appointment of Mulanje South West parliamentarian George Chaponda as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

The 22 obtained an injunction in June 2022, restraining the DPP from removing embattled Mulanje Central legislator Kondwani Nankhumwa, former DPP vice-president (South), as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

But on Thursday, Suleman, who is the fifth claimant in the case, filed a notice of withdrawal and discontinuous at the High Court of Malawi Civil Division Lilongwe District Registry.

Reads part of the notice: “Take notice that I, Honourable Sameer Suleman, MP [member of Parliament], the fifth claimant herein, hereby wholly withdraw and discontinue my claims against the defendants in these proceedings.

“Take further notice that this notice of withdrawal and discontinuous shall be served on the defendants through their legal practitioners, Messrs Mhango Lawyers and on the legal practitioners for the remaining claimants, Messrs Kita and Company, Messrs Chidothe, Chidothe and Company.”

In an interview with Nation on Sunday, Suleman said there is need for loyalty towards the DPP to ensure the leadership propels the party into power.

He said infighting, will disadvantage the party during the elections; hence, opting to withdraw from the case.

DPP legal advisor Charles Mhango on Friday confirmed being served with Suleman’s withdrawal and discontinuous notice.

In the civil cause number 192 of 2022, in the matter of Section 40 (1) and 40 (3) of the Constitution, Chaponda is the first defendant while the DPP is the second defendant.

But when the 22 legislators obtained the injunction, four distanced themselves from the case.

These were Noel Lipipa (Blantyre City South), Dennis Namachekecha (Phalombe North East), William Banda (Zomba Lisanjala) and Mavuto Scott (Thyolo Thekerani).

It is this injunction that restrained Chaponda from attending a business meeting of Parliament on Wednesday.

Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara said as long as the injunction stands, Parliament does not recognise Chaponda as Leader of Opposition.

A day after the business meeting debacle, the DPP rescinded its decision of appointing Chaponda, replacing him with Thyolo Thava parliamentarian Mary Navicha.

But on Friday, Nankhumwa was recognised as Leader of Opposition in Parliament because of the injunction. However, he was moved to independent lawmaker’s benches.

Navicha was, however, allocated a Leader of Opposition seat.

Under Article 36, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament may only be removed by the party that elected him or her.

Save for the injunction, Nankhumwa would have ceased being Leader of Opposition since he was expelled from the DPP alongside 10 others last month.

An independent legislator cannot be a Leader of Opposition in Parliament since he or she has no political party.