DPP takes on Chakwera: Questions JB meeting
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has questioned the meeting Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, Reverend Lazarus Chakwera and President Joyce Banda had over political violence in Thyolo last week.
On Tuesday last week Chakwera met Banda at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre following a fracas that ensued at Goliati in Thyolo district where two people and a police officer were killed.
But DPP top gurus, speaking during a news conference in Blantyre on Tuesday, wondered why Chakwera was meeting Banda over the violence allegedly perpetrated by the former ruling party and, dismissed as untrue claims that the MCP president talked with its leader, Professor Peter Mutharika on the issue.
The DPP officials comprised of Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Dausi, Treasure General, Henry Mussa, Director of Elections, Kondwani Namkhumwa, vice president, Hetherwick Ntaba as well as George Chaponda and National Organizing Secretary, Chimwemwe Chipungu.
“We must also set one record straight. Reverend Chakwera President of Malawi Congress Party met President Joyce Banda, allegedly to discuss the violence at Goliati and other places. He went on afterwards that, out of concern he also talked to Right Honourable Arthur Peter Mutharika about the violence. This is completely untrue,” reads part of the party’s statement read out during the news conference.
The statement issued by Secretary General, Jean Kalilani but was read by Dausi, questioned why Chakwera chose to lie despite being a ‘man of God’ and why he chose to discuss about violence that never involved his political party.
“He never spoke to the Professor about this violence or anything at that time,” said the DPP, adding “We wonder why this man of God chose to lie like that. In any case we wonder how he went so secretly to the President to discuss incidents of violence which did not involve his political at all. If it was about violence in general, why did he exclude critical stakeholders on that mission?
“This mission was so secret that even his own MCP gurus knew nothing prior to the audience with the President. We insist if both Rev. Chakwera and President Joyce Banda are truly God fearing they must come out and tell the nation what their meeting was all about before God Almighty finds other ways of exposing their plot”.
DPP gurus, who suspected Banda’s meeting with Chakwera to have centred on PP and MCP possible working relationship after May 20th Tripartite Elections, have since bemoaned the failure by Banda to condemn the beating of Mutharika’s aid, Ben Phiri who was allegedly beaten up and seriously injured by PP members.
The party also bemoaned the failure by the police to arrest alleged Phiri’s assailants despite names already submitted to the law-enforcers.
“It is most unfortunate that President Joyce Banda continues to blame the DPP and its president, Arthur Peter Mutharika for the violence at Goliati. It is also very irritating that she makes no mention or shows no concern about the incident/ brutal attacks against our Director of Operations, Ben Phiri that happened the same period at Mount Soche Hotel by functionaries of the Peoples Party”.
But in an interview, PP spokesperson, Ken Msonda said the beating of Phiri had nothing to do with the ruling party, arguing “PP is a democratic party that does not interfere into someone’s private life or matters under investigations. Let the police do their investigations on the Thyolo and Mount Soche incidences without fear or favour”.
Chakwera also dismissed talking of possible alliance with President Banda.
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