DPP declaration of Mutharika as candidate draws political analysts anger
The declaration by ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president George Chaponda that President Peter Mutharika will represent the party during the 2019 Tripartite Elections and those harbouring any presidential ambitions must wait for 2024 has drawn anger from some quarters, describing it as anti-democracy and a way of suffocating vice president Saulos Chilima.
Chaponda told a news conference that the DPP has endorsed Mutharika as its presidential candidate in the 2019 polls therefore there was no need to subject Mutharika to a vote during the convention.
“In fact, when we go to the convention, it is not that he [Mutharika] will be subjected to voting. Our democratic system allows that if he has gone for the first term which is five years and is medically fit, he can automatically go for the second term.
“Actually, he has been endorsed by the party members as such he will go automatically as our candidate in 2019… After all, it is his constitutional right to stand again,” said Chaponda, a trained lawyer .
At the news conference Chaponda was accompanied by Mutharika’s special adviser on political affairs and DPP administrative secretary Francis Mphepo, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Nicholas Dausi and DPP regional governor for the South Charles Mchacha, among others.
Chilima who is now currently in-charge in the absence of Mutharika, who is currently in the United Kingdom, has not said he wants to challenge his boss at the convention but a faction within the party is urging him to stand against Mutharika, saying the 79-year old president was aging.
However, political analyst from the University of Malawi, Mustafa Hussein said such statements by Chaponda tend to defeat the spirit of democracy.
“Why then do we have conventions? The DPP has the word ‘democratic’ on its name, they should practice the democracy. As a ruling party, they are expected to champion democratic spirit,” said Hussein.
George Phiri, another political commentator from Livingstonia Synod said the DPP should allow the convention decide who the party presidential candidate would be.
“If the convention put the president on that position, it has also a right to remove him,” said Phiri.
Another political commentator Humphrey Mvula told a radio talk show program on Tuesday that it is the people who surround the president who want the ageing leader to continue ruling fearing for their jobs if he stands down to pave way for Chilima.
Both Chilima and Mutharika are yet to comment on the DPP political whirlwind dubbed Hurricane Callista.
The DPP constitution stipulates that the convention shall elect all “office holders to various positions in the party” with no exception to automatic endorsement of the party president after serving the first term.
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Nana, what you should know is that Nyasa Times has the worst crop of journalists just as good as MBC journalists who enjoy being lectured to by interviewee without challenging them. The major problem is that they do interviews without having researched the subject matter. So they take whatever they are told to be true. Another aspect is the level of their education. Their spoken language is so bad that they cannot find a way of challenging their interviews, After all, the stories we read go through several hands to sound good – their original copies are not by any standards publishable – kulemba chingerezi chothyoka-thyoka.
DPP constitution states clearly that “the convention shall elect all office holders to various positions, in the party, with no exception to automatic endorsement of the party president after serving the first term”. Now which provision is UnHonourable Chaponda referring to. In fact he should be censured by the party for putting DPP into disrepute. However, I can understand a man in his position. He will do anything in his power to keep Prof Peter Mutharika in power, lest he loses all the legal protection from prosecution.
Humphreys Mvula is the most useless crook who was a strategist during the times of Muluzi. He is a thief who helped UDF divert money from Shire Bus Lines. Mvula is the one who wanted to keep his job by supporting and strategizing for Muluzi’s third-term in office. Please, Owen Khamula and our journalists challenge some of these people when you are interviewing them on political issues. Chimakhala chili chani kodi – failing to challenge interviewees. I despair about our Malawi journalists.
Can the so-called political analyst from Chanco tell us whether the Mutharika scenario is not similar to MCP’s. What has he said about that. Chakwera is MCP’s endorsed candidate and Mia is the endorsed runningmate, can Hussein tell us how this is different from DPP?
Why are they panicking? The way I understand it is that Peter cannot win any election.mukuopa mkhalamba? Peter is a threat that’s why they want a very weak candidate skc
Mr Bull Dozer Chaponda, it should be the Convention and not DPP top brass only endorsing Mutharika as their 2019 presidential candidate…………..!
When one inserts all the reactions you DPP gurus into the equation, one is able to see that you people, DPP NEC/NGC are panicking with the proposal of Chilima as a torch bearer!! Why the panic Chaponda and team? Mukuopa chani with people’s mere desire for Chilima to contest? Mind you he is not yet elected, no anthu akungoganiza kuti zitatelo basi, koma ndiye mukuoneka simukugonaaaaaaaaaaaaaa bwanji? Mukuopa chani kodi? Peter akukutetezani kapena? Ndiye akukutetezani pa za chani?
Ndiye simunatitu, muti kaye pheeeeeeeeeee muone, kunena kwa Evance Mereka…..!! Koma mulimbaaaaaaaaaa?
Silly argument. All parties chose their leaders and presidential candidates in the same way. MCP has endorsed Chakwera. Has Mr Hussein said anything about that?
Nkhani ili apa ndiyoti Mutharika wanuyo wakalamba, he is moraly unfit and has lost enssential memory. The world is changing everyday, its not about Kamuzu, eee Muluzi, eee Bingu! Its about the modern world, it needs someone with active mind not thieves, corrupt people who shield thieves,. We need normal people not these Santanas!
@kaka ni dada
Tell me how old was Kamuzu when you featured him in the 1994 elections? Did you go to convention to compete for an MCP presidential elections? Who competed with Bingu within DPP on the presidential candidature for DPP? What reaction was in the UDF when someone wanted to compete with Muluzi on the party’s 1999 candidature? In Malawi we have a different type of democracy this is why Chakwera single handedly replaced Msowoya for Mia even before the convention. How stupid can a party be replacing a previous winning candidate for another. The opposition is not mentioning Chilima for a good course. They know that any replacement for APM will disappoint the Lhomwe voters as a result Chakwera will triumph with his MCP. When that happens Callista will bring APM and the Mutharika family to court on Bingu’s wealth. She thinks using Chilima is part of making DPP LOSE THE ELECTIONS. But the lady should know that Chilima is not as foolish as she is that he cannot know what she is after. Let Chilima fight for the running mate position because this is the only post she can be respected with. Chilima will be happy to be one of the 2019 winning party rather than standing and lose. Many who are calling for Chilima to stand have their own candidates to vote for in 2019. Chilima knows the whole trap MCP is making.
@ Santana
I bet you, Chilima is better than APM in terms of candidacy. The notion that lomwe’s will vote for their own lomwe will backfire one day because the lomwe’s cannot outnumber other tribes if they decide not to vote for a lomwe. Zoti alomwe adzavotela mlomwe nzao tsiku lina mudzasiya mitundu ina ikadzaganiza zosavotera mlomwe chifukwa ili ndi tsankho lalikulu.
@Santana, paja ndinakuwuza kuti I don’t argue with you because you bring facts without proper research. You can’t compare Msowoya &Mia, infact Mia has majority than Msowoya, please do your research, DPP yatha ku KK , SA & NB ( these 3 lakeshore districts ) because of Mia, please find out usanayambe kubibidwa, pano he is working to finish DPP in the southern & eastern regions, so can you compare such a person with Msowoya, Chakwera & Mia is a wining team ngakhale iweyo ukudziwa. Tikanena za ukalamba, you mentioned of Kamuzu, what happened to him at his old age when Muluzi openly said Kamuzu Banda messed up things due to old age, Malawians believed & didn’t vote for Ngwazi. Peter Muthalika has failed in his first term due to old age, ndiye apa akhala nkhalamba yothelatu, iweyo ukufuna apitilize kuwononga kapena ukufuna afe ndi BP chifukwa cha pressure yochokera kwa a Malawi okwiya ndi kuwonongeka kwa zinthu mdziko muno. Ndipo Chakwera ndi Mia akaima podium nthawi ya campaign mukumva kuwawa mukaimitsa agogo chifukwa DPP yatha ngati makatani mmaboma ambiri chifukwa cha corruption & poor decision making by the president himself. Take it or leave it.
When Calisto (don’t mind spelling) was talking about the president being surrounded by beasts, we honorable back benchers thought she was speaking out of her personnel gains but I think now she has been fully vindicated, just look at a number of press briefing these beast have held to fight back.Mwatokosola kubowo lanjoka mama you have real send a signal
That’s the problem of being a thief. Umaopa chilichonse tsonotu!!!
Chaponda and colleagues should STOP lying to Malawians that they LOVE the president more. In fact it’s an OPEN SECRET that Chaponda himself has presedential ambitions.
The only reason Chaponda et al want Mutharika to continue is because they know he protects them from the arm of the law. They want to continue LOOTING and their APPETITE is INSATIABLE.
SHAME on MBAVA ma ZIGOGO!!!
I don’t understand why these so called political commentators are at pains with what is happening in DPP. MCP has the same scenario but thay have been sitting phwiii as if they are at a barber shop. Who doesn’t know that Chakwera will go unopposed? What is different with DPP?
Bodza ilo bodza iloooooooooooooooo!! MCP is never seating phwiiiiiiiiiiiiii in fact they have fought a good war………….. Kaliwo and Msowoya thought they can easily unseat Chakwera but upon seeing that Raz has gained more popularity out of the damage they gave him they have changed tune & have stopped calling for a convention!! Pamene a Peter anuwa ndiovuta kugulitsa to the electorate on the ground ………………………………. and the reasons are obvious!! Koma chonsecho inu mukumuumiliza munthu wamkulukuluyu chifukwa mukudyera old age yakeyo…………….. nanga sichifukwa samatha kuzitsata mukamasosola……………………………………………inu amene mukudzitchula ogalamukanu nanga simwagalamuka ndi ndalama zakubanu! Mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Inu ma Analyst zisiyeni izi mwachepa nazo. APM 2024 so they say while i say APM 2019
Chaponda clearly knows that if Peter leaves the political scene at this stage then he is in big problems due to his numerous scandals.
Muli monse mwomwe mungachitire a DPP, agogowa koma akalambabe apume, akatero adzapatsidwa ulemu moyo wawo wonse. Enanu mantha akudzeranji kodi? Chilima boma basi, this is for the benefit of our DPP, chifukwa Chilima akangoyimira DPP, basitu ma ambition a Chakwera, Mwenefumbo, Uladi, khumbo athera pompo coz a Malawi ambiri adzavotera chilima wathu wa DPP. Koma akangokakamira agogowa, mayoooo, chipani chathu chili mmadzi. Tsono chonde tiyeni tisapote Chilima.
Mbava, zilombo, anthu ogwetsa boma, nkhalamba kuteteza mimba zawo zingadzaphwe koma zikuphwa ndithu Chakwera akutenga boma chaka cha mawa. Wina afune kaya asafune MCP boma!