Africa-Press – Malawi. As usual, the former president, Professor Peter Mutharika, took an advantage of the Mlankho wa Alhomwe gathering to outline the future of the main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
People are aware that the DPP has been rocked with leadership squabbles. Two internal factions arose, those supporting Kondwani Nankhumwa and others in favour of any candidate endorsed by Peter Mutharika.
Even though the Mlankho wa Alhomwe was not supposed to be politicized, the pronouncements by the President of DPP were timely since the gathering drew together almost all aspiring presidential DPP candidates. It must be admitted that it was difficult to assemble all presidential aspirants at one place as the magnitude of antagonism among one another astronomically increased on each passing day.
It is also prudent for the outgoing president to ensure that he relinquishes power to a competent successor. As a legacy of the party, Peter Mutharika has an opportunity to endorse his favorite candidate who will then compete with other presidential candidates at an elective convention.
First, Prof. Peter Mutharika took the opportunity to inform Malawians that the DPP elective convention will be held in July 2023. This implies that in months time, Malawians will be accorded with an opportunity to formally know their DPP presidential aspirants.
Second, listening to Prof. Mutharika’s speech with abated keenness, he hinted that he would not stand as a DPP torch bearer. This is against the claims that traditional chiefs persuaded him to stand again. In my opinion, it is high time, Prof. Mutharika retired from active politics after tirelessly working for decades. Let new blood with new ideas and energy lead the party and our country.
Third, as a political analyst, I am not confounded that DPP is changing their constitution as they prepare for an elective convention. My only worry in this arena is that it would be undemocratic to change the party’s constitution that would deliberately discriminate targeted individuals while favouring particular sycophants.
Such undemocratic tendencies also happened in the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in which the party’s constitution was changed to suit the incumbent party president Chakwera. One renowned lawyer, Gustav Kaliwo and academician, Dr. Jessie Kabwira, opposed such political moves and were later summarily excommunicated from the party. Such is politics.
Fourth, Prof. Mutharika also hinted on the qualities of a good leader. Asakhale mbuli kapena bulutu. In other words, a presidential candidate should not possess fake degrees bought from diploma mills. In my view, one of the guidelines for vetting presidential candidates will be the credibility of their academic qualifications. Obviously this would disadvantage Kondwani Nankhumwa who has not cleared his name on how he got his PhD. There are also speculations that he once used a Malawi School Certificate which belonged to his deceased relative. No convincing statement came from Hon. Nankhumwa to clear this mist.
Fifth, as the leader of the main opposition party, DPP, he offered hope to Malawians that DPP will overturn all the problems created by the Tonse Alliance government. Cost of living is high. Over expenditure by the current regime. Inflation rate has soared from single digit to double digits. Judiciary is corrupt. The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is compromised and conflicted.
Six, Prof. Mutharika took a swipe at the tribalism and nepotism practiced by Reverend Chakwera government. He claimed that the Tonse Alliance administration is targeting DPP and Lhomwe citizens by arresting them or even by way of witch hunting so as to retrench them.
I have heard illogical and weak arguments from people that former president Mutharika has no moral ground to criticize the current regime on tribalism, nepotism, and corruption because DPP government promoted the same vices. This thinking or reasoning is fallacious because it presupposes that only saints can rebuke the wrong.
Another fallacious thinking comes from MCP sycophants who justify current economic problems, nepotism, tribalism, regionalism and inconvenience as the norm because DPP regime was also perpetrating them. Such myopic thinking is retrogressive because no matter how many times a wrong incident is repeated , it does not become right.
All we are asking DPP as a party is to put its house in order so that it doesn’t dodge its responsibility of providing checks and balances on the Chakwera’s government for the benefit of the citizens.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
