Chaponda pushes for ‘no contest’ for vice presidents at DPP convention: Wants to be ‘re-appointed’
Flamboyant Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president for southern region, Dr. George Thapathula Chaponda does not want to face voters at the party’s national convention but instead he is lobbying President Peter Mutharika to declare that positions of regional vice presidents should not be open for contest at the convention.
According to a DPP national governing council (NGC) source privy to the issue, Chaponda has proposed to the President he should just re-appoint the four regional vice presidents a week after the convention.
The other three regional vice presidents are Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba (central), Bright Msaka (eastern), and Goodall Gondwe (north).
It is only Ntaba who was elected vice president at the DPP national convention in 2013 while President Mutharika appointed the rest.
However, many senior executive DPP leaders are not happy with Chaponda’s suggestion, arguing that would disenfranchise other members and also expose the party to criticisms and division.
“Dr. Chaponda is clearly advancing selfish individual interests and not the party. Such machinations are suicidal because if adopted, it would mean there is no internal democracy in the ruling party,” said the source.
He revealed the party’s NGC would be meeting at Kamuzu Palace on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 to discuss the forthcoming national convention, including Chaponda’s “weird proposition”.
“Chaponda appears to be single-minded about this suggestion; it is clear he is afraid he may not win if the he is challenged at the convention. He knows he is not popular among the rank and file members of the party and will likely lose if challenged by any of the party gurus who have shown interest for the position,” claimed the source in an interview with Nyasa Times on Wednesday.
Chaponda also declared that President Mutharika will go unopposed at the party’s convention and represent the party in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
He said: “In fact, when we go to the convention, it is not that he [Mutharika] will be subjected to voting.”
The DPP constitution stipulates that the convention shall elect all “office holders to various positions in the party”.
Last year, results of an Afrobarometer Survey revealed that if elections were to be held then Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president and leader of the opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera would win the elections.
During the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections, Mutharikagot 36 percent of the presidential vote to oust then incumbent Joyce Banda. Chakwera got only 20% of the votes.
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All these anti-Chaponda are msgs are proudly sponsored by Ben Phiri
Bravo Chapnda no more another Nchilima waphuma trying to rise too early.
Chaponda is right. The president should now be careful when choosing vice unlike the trash we have seen.
Chapobda woyeeb wosafuna achoke
Dr. Chaponda, if this is true, shame on you!!
Given that Malawi is full of sleepy people and so are members of DPP; Dr Chaponda will get what he wants. The very same DPP members who are making noise about Chaponda will be the very members who will vote him (Chaponda) in. Malawi is just so a funny country. Malawi politics is a comedy. I don’t know whether I should cry or laugh!
Agulugunyinda
He insist A PM should go unopposed. Ali ndi ma plan
APM take care. After removing SKC you never who next. Why does he insist u should go in opposed?
I like Dr. Chaponda. Keep it up sir, nobody should disturb you of your dreams. You need to fight hard till u become head of state.
I cannot even begin to comment to what you just said so I’ll just assume that you are simply trolling.
zayambikatu kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
1st he destroys the country to position 3rd poorest in the world and now he wants to destroy the DPP party kkkkkkkkkk
Akulekera anthu tione ngati ungakwanitse wekha no chance for dpp because these stupid guy and President is so blind he can’t even make a decision