Court dismiss MCP district chairmen case on elections: ‘Time to end squabbling’

The Lilongwe High Court on Monday dismissed the case in which some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) district chairmen had taken the party to court asking it to rule that MCP should not hold district and regional elections.

The district chairmen faulted party president Lazarus Chakwera for annulling some appointments made at national convention in 2013 and making his own appointments saying this was in violation of the party constitution.

Delivering a ruling on Monday Judge Charles Mkandawire dismissed the case saying the complainants were not available to defend the case.

Mkandawire said it was unfortunate that after the court had earlier  ordered that the case should start at 9 am but there was no one to defend the case.

Speaking after the judgement, there was jubilation at the court which was followed by a news conference held at the MCP headquarters.

Briefing journalists MCP Deputy Secretary General Elsehower Mkaka said MCP is happy that the case is now over.

“Our focus now is to strengthen the party from all grass roots level,” said Mkaka.

Mkaka said the party has no grudges against the people who took the party to court.

“We are asking them to come forward, MCP is a democratic party,” he said.

MCP Public Relations Officer Alekeni Menyani urged members to avoid going to court.

“Let’s solve our problems together,”  Menyani said.

During the news briefing, director of elections Maxwell Thyolera said what it means is that the party will now go ahead in holding elections in all districts.

“We had a lot of injunction restraining us from conducting elections but what this mean is that we will go ahead holding the district committees,” said Thyolera.

Thyolera said the party is now ready to hold convention, saying the money is available.

Another National Executive member Khumbize Kandodo said MCP does not fear convention.

“The problem is that as a party we don’t have delegates since we had injunctions but now we are ready to go even for convention since we will have the delegates,” Said Thyolera.

Lawyer for the disgruntled members, Wesley Namasala said his clients were not happy with leadership style of party president Lazarus Chakwera whom they accuse of disregarding elected positions in the party and opted to appoint people into positions.

Private lawyer Wapona Kita represented the MCP during the case.

Over the past few months, some MCP members have been fighting their president Lazarus Chakwera over his style of leadership claiming “there are serious irregularities” in the manner he runs the party.

Meanwhile,  an ordinary National Execute  Committee (NEC) NEC meeting was being held in Lilongwe discussing the issue of internal conflicts that are bringing the party and its leadership into disrepute.

The party is also discussing the abortive arson of the party’s national headquarters and the members who have been behind the issue of convention.

According to the party’s intelligence three senior members are behind the incidents.

This is the second NEC meeting in 2016 for the country’s oldest political party. The first one took place on February 14 where the committee resolved to, among others, fire nine Southern Region Committee senior members for allegedly assaulting the party’s second vice-president McDonald Lombola and administrative secretary Potipher Chidaya.

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