Mutharika blasts cabinet over DPP factions

President Bingu wa Mutharika angrily blasted cabinet ministers over the weekend regarding his own allegation that that they were operating in “camps” to reposition themselves for his expected 2014 successor of his presidency.

Speaking during a party caucus, according to a senior cabinet minister from the north who attended the meeting, Mutharika is reported to have said he was concerned with “divisions” in DPP at a time the country is facing an economic crisis.

“The President urged the DPP top blasts to forget about questions of his successor for now and roll-up their sleeves to help government develop the nation,” said the source.

Another source corroborated the story, adding that that President Mutharika was visibly angry when ordering that electioneering for presidential candidature of DPP should start in 2014, not now.

The DPP is said to be divided in three factions; the first one is loyal to President Mutharika and backs the plans to have his brother, Prof Peter Mutharika, succeed him.

The second camp is said to be loyal to the Vice President, Right Hon. Joyce Banda.  The third faction is believed to be rallying behind Henry Chimunthu Banda who is currently Speaker of Parliament.

Chimunthu Banda recently resigned his post as DPP secretary-general. The position has not been filled.

But DPP spokesman, Hetherwick Ntaba, recently quashed any talk of factions in the ruling party and said the deputy secretary-general, Francis Mphepo, is acting in the position of Secretary General.

Asked when DPP will fill in the post of secretary-general, Ntaba said “that’s a DPP internal matter.”

He said the party will hold a convention at an appropriate time and that all positions will be contested for.

“The party members understand why the convention is being planned for a later date. We will have that [convention]. All positions will be contested for,” Ntaba told Capita Radio.

“The DPP is assuring its members that the convention will be held,” he said.

Ntaba accused the media and opposition ranks of agitating for the DPP to hold a convention.

“We will not have the convention dictated to us from outside and from the media. This is what we have always said. But we will have a convention at our own time,” he said.

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