DPP function review sets to complete work: Msaka upbeat on party rebuilding

Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) central committee sanctioned  special function review is expected to complete its work as the party vice-president (East) Bright Msaka SC the team is upbeat the rebuilding is going to successful.

The function committee is crucial to the party as it will determine the time frame for the party elective conference following Peter Mutharika’s decision to step down as party president after a bad showing in the June 23 court sanctioned presidential election.

A source close to the function review says the report will be ready by second week of December.

The committee which was mandated to do the review has been meeting various party stakeholders to understand the responsibilities of various party portifolios.

“We started our work as soon as we were appointed, and our work is also progressing well.  We have already collected voluminous information online by way of feedback from party members who responded to the questions that we put out online. That collected data and information will need technical analysis to come up with key action points,” Msaka told Nyasa Times.

Msaka said a significant aspect of  the committee’s work will involve going to the regions to consult party members and other stakeholders on the kind of changes they would like to see happen in the party.

“As you are aware, four out of the seven members of the Functional Review Committee are serving members of Parliament. (Msaka,  Jospeh Mwananvekha,  Owen Chomanika, and Chijere Phiri.) We could therefore not undertake field work until after the adjournment of Parliament sine die. ]

“Accordingly, the Committee agreed to seek an extension of time from the party president in order for the field work to be undertaken immediately after Parliament. The party president graciously granted an extension until end December,” Msaka explained.

He said while undertaking the assignment,  and having fully appreciated the task at hand, the committee realised the need to engage technical experts to deal with certain aspects of their  work that require such technical expertise.

“We therefore decided to engage the technical experts to support the Committee in its work. As Chair of the Committee I reported to the party president of our decision in this regard.  The technical experts were hired by the committee itself and not by the party president,” explained Msaka.

He said going on the the ground, members of the Committee were  accompanied by the technical experts with most of their work in the field is  to do with data analysis and quality control.

“The Functional Review Committee (not the technical experts appointed by the Committee) will report to the Party in response to the Terms of Reference that are the basis of our work,” he said.

The report is also expected to highlight why the DPP performed poorly in the June 23 presidential election.

It is expected that the report will  be presented to the DPP central commitee first before being tabled at the national governing council.

The national governing council after reviewing the report will then determine when the party’s elective conference will take place.