MCP holds emergency NEC meeting: Replacement of Dadza tops agenda
Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has called for an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting Friday to take place in Lilongwe.
Top on the meeting’s agenda is the election of the party’s new secretary general to replace Chris Daza who defected to the ruling People’s Party (PP) two weeks ago where President Joyce Banda appointed him a full minister responsible for good governance 24hours later.
“During the NEC meeting which is scheduled for November 29 many other crucial issues will be discussed. But we will also elect a new secretary general to replace Dr Daza,” said MCP Spokesperson, Jessie Kabwila.
After Daza’s resignation, MCP appointed its deputy Secretary General, James Chatonda Kaunda, to act as secretary general.
Asked what procedure the NEC meeting would use to elect a new secretary general, Kabwila said: “It will be done according to our constitution, we would have called for an emergency convention but we have settled for emergency NEC meeting because now the body that decides what happens in the party is the NEC.”
However, she brushed aside assertions that the meeting had been convened primarily to replace Daza after defection.
“Let me underline here that the departure of Daza is a non-entity. It’s not an issue that we are losing sleep over. This person you need to look at him from the time he left the convention to today what is it that he has brought? What added value did he bring to MC?
“So we should not be looking at our NEC meeting as a meeting to respond to the Daza defection. The NEC meeting has been called for our logistical operational needs and among other things that will be looking at will be the issue of filling the position which was left by Daza. Remember MCP is an institution and we have lots of things to deal with other than worry about one person,” blasted the MCP publicist, who also described Daza as chaff (Madeya).
Three months after taking over the presidency of the party from veteran politician and Malawi’s longest serving Member of Parliament, John Tembo, Rev Lazarus Chakwera’s leadership mettle to keep the party united is being tested with discontent from some disgruntled members.
