President of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) John Tembo says although the party was facing financial problems, money was not the major challenge preventing it from holding its long-awaited convention.
He also declared that with or without funding the meeting will still go ahead.
Commenting on the progress of preparations for the convention in an interview on Tuesday, Tembo said funding was not the main issue when the party decided to indefinitely postpone the convention from April 27 this year to a later date.
He, however, could not say whether a new date has been set for the national meeting which among several other issues is expected to elect a president who would also be the presidential candidate for the party in next year’s elections.
“Yes, at that time we didn’t have enough money, even now we don’t have enough money, but when the time comes, people will still be funded to hold the convention. Even if it means getting a loan from elsewhere, we are going to have the convention,” said Tembo.
He explained that the major issue that led to the postponement was lack of suitable accommodation for all the 700 delegates.
“Accommodation is a very big issue. Natural Resources College (NRC) said could only accommodate 200 when we are expecting to have 700 delegates. This meant some of the delegates being accommodated in substandard rest houses. So, I decided to inform the committee to change the dates,” added Tembo.
During the interview, the MCP leader, who is facing a challenge from at least 11 contestants, insisted that he is still in the race,
“I am a candidate as well as the sitting president of the party, my term ends at the end of the convention when I will hand over the leadership to whoever will become the new president,” said Tembo.
Apart from Tembo, other contestants for the party’s top job are retired chief justice Lovemore Munlo, former Malawi Assemblies of God president the Reverend Dr Lazarus Chakwera, former Cabinet minister Jodder Kanjere, former Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) president Felix Jumbe and former secretary general Betson Majoni.
Others include the party’s former director of political affairs Eston Kakhome, secretary general Chris Daza, the party’s MP for Nkhotakota Central Edwin Banda, Lilongwe Mapuyu South’s Joseph Njobvuyalema and Lilongwe Mpenu’s Watson Makala Ngozo.
