Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has elected Mulanje South West legislator Dr George Chaponda as Leader of Opposition, effectively ousting Kondwani Nankhumwa.
The election took place on Sunday afternoon at DPP leader Peter Mutharika’s PAGE house in Mangochi.
APM presiding over the meeting
Nankhumwa and his rebel DPP legislators were not invited as they are said to represent “failed leadership.”
Addressing the media after the meeting, Mutharika’s spokesperson, Shadreck Namalomba, said the party has also elected Vuwa Kaunda as Chief Whip and his deputy is Chijere Chirwa.
He said Victor Musowa is now leader of backbenchers and his Deputy is Victoria Kingstone.
According to Namalomba 35 MPs attended the meeting which he claims every member was invited.
Earlier, Nankhumwa threatened to drag opposition Mutharika for holding the meeting without the blessing of the party secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey.
Nankhumwa through his lawyers argue that organizing and attending the meeting is in contempt of a court order which legitimized Nankhumwa’s decisions in parliament.
A brief profile states that Chaponda studied at the University of Delhi from 1963 to 1968 where he received degrees in history and political science. He studied law at the University of Zambia from 1976 to 1979 and at Yale University from 1980 to 1984. He was admitted to the bar in 1980.
He has held a number of senior positions in Zambia, including chief executive of a parastatal organisation. From 1984 to 2002, he worked mostly as a senior lawyer for the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia, Kenya, Thailand, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Ethiopia. From 2003-2004 he was Chairman of the University Council of the University of Malawi.
Earlier, Nankhumwa threatened to drag opposition Mutharika for holding the meeting without the blessing of the party secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey.