DPP shuts door for ‘fortune seekers’: Harry Mkandawire says not joining

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said it will not accept political fortune-seeker who are looking for favours from the party.

In the strongest line the free-talking DPP secretary general Ecklen Kudontoni said DPP will not leave its door to nomadic politicians to join its rank and file, saying most of them are simply looking for sympathy and favours from the current administration.

Kudontoni, however, said DPP has welcomed in its fold Mzuzu City MP Leonard Njikho, councillors and some members.

But he warned that it will not accept recycled politicians who dumped the party when it lost power after the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika.

Kodontoni said it will be ”absolutely immoral’’ to welcome the members who dumped DPP when Bingu had died and they want to rejoin it merely for personal fortunes.

“We want members who will contribute positively to the party and not fortune-seekers,” said Kudontoni.

He said Njikho, who was an independent MP, has been working with the party and cleared even by President Peter Mutharika to join DPP.

Kudontoni remarks comes after critics have argued that former People’s Party (PP) vice-president Harry Mkandawire  is setting sights on a return to DPP following his resignation on Friday.

Mkandawire resigned from PP on Friday claiming he could not continue serving a party under whose watch the plunder of billions of kwacha in public funds at Capital Hill were exposed.

However, Mkandawire has clarified that his resignation from PP founded by Mutharika’s predecessor, former president Joyce Banda, was not in preparation for a return to the party he dumped after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika in April 2012.

Previously, Mkandawire also served as United Democratic Front (UDF) regional governor (North) before joining DPP.

“Me joining DPP ?… I did not quit PP to join DPP,” said Mkandawire.

Mkandawire explained that he resigned from PP leadership because the party hasn’t been forthcoming on Cashgate allegations levelled against some top leaders.

“We were supposed to meet and issue a statement on whether the party was involved in the looting of public coffers,” he said.

But sources say Mkandawire has been repositioning himself to work with DPP and get business opportunities and also amnesty on some cases involving him including timber smuggling at Chikangawa and tax related issues.