PP admits ‘civil war’, Kachali calls for unity
The ruling People’s Party (PP) has conceded that it is rocked with infighting and heaped many of the problems it is facing ranging from divisions, violence, greed to disunity on its officials from National Executive Committee (NEC) members down to the constituency.
Malawi Vice President Khumbo Kachali, who is also PP second-in-command speaking at a northern region conference for party members held in Mzuzu on Wednesday, said there were fevered reports of divisions in PP.
“If we encourage gossip we will not progress. I have heard people say that I do not see eye to eye with Treasurer General Harry Mkandawire, but what you should know is that we eat together,” Kachali said at Luwinga secondary School in Mzuzu .
There are reports of PP parallel structures in the northern region.
The Mzuzu conference, held under the theme “Consolidating the Party at grassroots” was billed as a last ditch attempt to iron out problems before the party embarks on primaries to choose its parliamentary and local government elections candidates, sources confided to Nyasa Times.
Delegates also deliberated on party administration, discipline, protocol, fundraising strategies and job descriptions for all its office bearers, according to PP’s National Director of Legal Affairs Ralph Kasambara.
Kachali did not also spare the numerous aspirants and new members PP is attracting, saying they were in the forefront sowing divisions and disunity.
“Aspirants are not the party. We just want them to help us win the 2014 polls. But acts of violence they have been spearheading are embarrassing us. Stop that,” Kachali said.
He said the north should give President Banda 100 percent of all the votes.
“We can only do that if we encourage people to go register in large numbers. But the problem is that we are divided and lazy,” Kachali said.
The Veep then ordered all NEC members to stand and declared to the leaders who included regional governor Frank Mwenefumbo: “If PP is unpopular it’s because of these people.” .
On MPs, the Veep asked them to stand up and then told delegates: “These are the people who do not give us money. We do not have money because of these people.”
He asked the MPs to support the party saying: “If you neglect us do not be surprised that our loyalty will shift to an aspirant.”
To provincial members, Kachali said they were the ones causing violence. Surprisingly, there was also a standing ovation.
Of late the party has been embroiled in violent incidences and Police have since arrested some of its members.
A PP supporter is battling for his life at Mzuzu Central Hospital after experiencing a thorough bashing by fellow PP members on suspicion that he had hidden some of the cash Secretary General Paul Maulidi had dished at a rally in Mzimba on Sunday.
Kachali chided the district governors, saying they were the ones spending party resources.
Speaking earlier, Maulidi said PP had been operating well before the advent of aspirants.
Maulidi conceded that PP had many problems in the constituencies saying members do not know their leaders because they are parallel structures.
“Of course our lock and key (PP’s insignia) is always open but when you join us from other political parties you should not expect to hold the same position you had and you should not bring your structures.
“The fact that in some constituencies we have as many as 12, 14 Aspirants is recipe for conflicts and disaster. Our plea to newcomers is that when in Rome do what the Romans do,” Maulidi said.
Mwenifumbo said PP will scoop all the 33 seats in the region claiming it is very strong and popular.
