DPP headed for doom, Mutharika being undemocratic – Analysts
The erstwhile ruling Democrattic Progressive Party (DPP) is headed for doom after losing the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election on June 23, with its leader the country’s immediate-past president Peter Mutharika becoming undemocratic in the succession process, political commentators have said.
A governance expert as well as University of Malawi political commentataors based at Chancellor College-in Zomba, Ernest Thindwa and Mustaph Hussein, have described the sudden turn of events where Mutharika has fired secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey from her position and reportedly told her not to attend a planned national governing council (NGC) meeting at his private residence in Mangochi on Thursday and the resignation by Thyolo Central legislator Ben Malunga Phiri from the position of director of electionsas a clear sign that there is weak intra-party democracy systems in the party.
Political scientist Thindwa, speaking in a telephone interview with Nyasa Times, warned that should the succession be mismanaged, DPP could be heading for extinction.
He urged the immediate former governing party to consider changing leaders or risk dying a natural death just like Alliance for Democracy.
“The truth of the matter is that there is a leadership crisis in DPP, which, unfortunately, some are deliberately ignoring to resolve. And this is what killed parties like UDF and Aford. So, if DPP is to survive, it has to change leadership because people no longer trust Peter Mutharika for presiding over the most corrupt administration in Malawi as well as the whole African region,” challenged Thindwa.
He added that Mutharika’s advancing age – 80 years – is another disadvantage of the party, stressing that the former President cannot continue to call shots among the youthful and capable people in the party.
“The bottom-line is that the glue that held DPP together has now melted. And following its ouster from government, where it used to enjoy government resources, the party now does not have the resources to use in commanding patronage from supporters. There are no more incentives for those following it; hence, if the leadership does not address the leadership crisis now, it is headed for its natural death,” he warned.
On the other hand, Hussein said what s happening in the former ruling party shows there are huge divisions and many factions.
He also observed that there is a power struggle in the party.
However, Hussein warned Mutharika against taking unilateral decisions by firing duly elected office-bearers from their positions.
“What Mutharika has done by firing the party’s Secretary General Greselder Jeffrey without calling for a convention or a process where such issues are supposed to be dealt with shows the party has not moved from being owned by an individual. I think it is high time our political parties moved away from being owned by individuals,” Hussein says.
Governance expert and commentator Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times: “It is a tip of the iceberg when you look at how the DPP seems to be struggling currently with the transitition following the loss that they had in the elections.
“It also shows that the party is still being controlled by a few individuals…. there seems to be a small inner circle in the party that is making decisions on successions and that particular inner circle is being controlled by Mutharika.”
Jeffrey ruffled the feather of Mutharika—who led the party back into government in May 2014 after two years in opposition following the death of its founding president Bingu wa Mutharika— for saying he had done his part and DPP needs a new person to lead it into the future.
Her sentiments came days after DPP regional governor for the North Christopher Mzomera Ngwira admitted that some sections of the party membership were calling for Mutharika’s replacement to start rebuilding the party after its loss.
Former president Mutharika lost the June 23 Fresh Presidential Election to Chakwera who partnered Mutharika’s then estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima of UTM Party on the presidential ticket. The winning pair amassed 58 percent of the vote.
DPP was founded as a bastard party in February 2005 by Bingu wa Mutharika after he unceremoniously ditched the United Democratic Front (UDF), the party that sponsored his presidential ticket in May 2004 after then president Bakili Muluzi handpicked him into the post.
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Hahah u thought Peter Muntharika is a democratic leader? We know all along that Peter Muntharika was and is undemocratic person.
A good example was how he choose Chimulilenji from and among all young energetic technocrats in DPP .
And he knew for him to remain in power he has to appoint uneducated people in high position such as Chimulilenji , Mchacha , Ben Phiri so that they should be hand clappers and not competitors for high office of the land.
Madzi achita katondo, DPP yabalalika, the system is slowly but surely and systematically disintegrating
Did I read a word bastard party somewhere in this new story?
Koma kuwona jekete ya Pumbwayoooo 😂🤣🤣🤣 koma yeah
Atelala angowalinga ndi maso🤣🤣🤣🤣 the Jacket is one size big
Why is that Africans we want to put someone who is 80 years to be President???Don’t we have young people to be leaders with fresh minds.Wake up Africa
He is the financier they want to milk him of all his monies to support their ambitions🤣🤣🤣🤣
Mutharika and his accomplices deserve the longest jail sentence fir loiting state funds and drawing tge country diwn the drain.
APM was a mediocre Professor teaching law at a mediocre university in the USA. He like Bingu had zero chance of being elected President of Malawi. In fact in their wildest dreams the 2 brothers never even dreamt of being President one day. But the village idiot Muluzi is the one who forced his colleagues in UDF to accept Bingu as their leader. and there followed Bingu’s Mama Corruption Joyce’s and APM’s frenzy and looting. It is Mukuzi who strangled multi party democracy at its birth. But the point I am trying to make is that APM is a fumbling,… Read more »
Komatu DPP ikuyenera kulingalira bwino. Ikuyenera kupanga zoti amalawi tiyambe kuona DPP ngati chipani chadziko lonse , osati kagulu kochepa kapena timabanja tochepa. Learn from MCP, it survived bkz people across Malawi could dream of going for any position, even for the seat of president. Izi ndi zimene zinachitika pamene JZU amapuma. Ife tikufuna DPP isathe for the sake of democracy. Chonde takonzani zinthu
Ma politiko komentetazi a ku Malawi amenewo.By what they say and how they say it, you know which party they belong to.Very partisan in their approach. A bunch of self appointed prophets of doom.What is their concern if any party dies? Isn’t that what they want in any case?
The truth hurts!
In accounting language when an asset has passed its life span (after depreciation ) it is said to have salvage value. I think the leader of DPP thinks he has value when in fact it is salvage value.