UTM Party has summoned its immediate-past leader and the country’s Vice-President Michael Usi to a disciplinary hearing for purportedly behaving in a manner likely to create divisions or impact negatively on the party.
Usi, in an interview yesterday, claimed that he remained the legitimate head of the party despite UTM Party ushering in new leadership through a national delegates conference in Mzuzu in November.
But in separate interviews yesterday, the party’s spokesperson Felix Njawala and political and legal pundits said Usi is now an ordinary member after the November 17 2024 convention and should respect the new leadership headed by former Reserve Bank of Malawi governor Dalitso Kabambe.
Usi’s reaction followed a letter from UTM Party director of legal affairs Charles Dokera Thole summoning him to a disciplinary hearing and charging him with behaving in a manner which is likely to provoke or has the potential to provoke divisions or impact negatively on the unity of UTM.
Reads the letter in part: “Joining or supporting an organisation or party, other than an organisation in alliance with UTM contrary to Article 22[8] [k] of UTM constitution.”
Particulars of the charges are that on November 19 2024, Usi, by himself or through his agents, mobilised UTM supporters, wearing and displaying UTM regalia and symbols to a government function despite termination of the working relationship between UTM and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the governing Tonse Alliance.
“On the second charge, on or around early December 2024, you [Usi] urged your followers during voter registration whistle stop tours in Mwanza district to support and vote for MCP echoing “Boma Ndilomweli” slogan, which is used and identified by MCP supporters,” it added.
In an interview yesterday, Usi confirmed receiving the letter and said: “Not that I have been [their leader], but legitimately I am their leader bwana [boss].”
He said the UTM squabbles started from the day the party’s founding president Saulos Chilima picked him as running-mate for the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Said Usi: “It’s one episode after another. People discuss thorny issues and come out victorious. I don’t like fighting and I don’t see why people in UTM should have issues with me!
“The bone of contention is when I said let’s follow rules ahead of the convention. Even the way they have summoned me is not the way it is supposed to be. I am a person who loves peace, but I am not stupid!”
But Njawala laughed off the remarks, saying Usi should have competed during the convention if he wanted to remain the party’s leader.
He said: “Which party is he leading?”
Analysing the development, private practice lawyer Christon Ghambi said Usi lost the plot when he failed to contest during the convection.
He said: “UTM held a convention and has a new leader. So why would Usi claim that he is a legitimate leader? Let him respect the rules of the party. If he had issues with the convention, he should have challenged it at that time.
“He cannot challenge the legitimacy of the leadership because he was not a participant in the election. Actually, UTM leaders can get an injunction against him to stop holding any meetings or functions in the name of UTM.”
In a separate interview, political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche also said Usi wants to succeed with UTM while seeking the same with the government and MCP.
“The party needs to make it clear to Dr. Usi what it expects of him as its member. If he is not ready to act within those lines, then the party will be justified to fire him,” he said.
Gift Sambo, a legislative, electoral politics and public policy expert from the University of Malawi, argued that Usi was creating unnecessary confusion.
“It seems he is still in a state of denial as far as the UTM presidency is concerned. Behaviour-wise it is clear that he is not ready to work with the current UTM politburo,” he said.
Usi shunned the UTM Party presidential race by not submitting his nomination papers, citing gross violation of the party’s constitution by the national executive committee.
President Lazarus Chakwera appointed Usi as Vice-President on June 20 2024 following the death of former Vice-President Saulos Chilima in a military plane crash on June 10 2024.
Usi has been using his position to push for increased access to National Economic Empowerment Fund loans by small-scale businesses and conducting surprise visits to government offices.
