MCP MPs ask party executive to remove SG Kaliwo for ‘gross incompetence’

Members of Parliament of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have issued a communiqué after their meeting in Lilongwe  where they met to air their views on the ongoing leadership wrangles in the opposition party and have recommended to National Executive Committee  (NEC) removed party Secretary General Gustav Kaliwo for  “gross incompetence” as one of the reasons.

The MPs were meeting following  a letter which the top executive of the party elected at the 2013 convention, among them vice-president Richard Msowoya and secretary general Gustav Kaliwo, penned the MCP president Lazarus Chakwera, accusing him of flouting the party constitution.

Addressing a news conference, the  MPs said NEC should fire Kaliwo because he has absented himself  – with no reasons  – for more than three consecutive management meetings, contrary to party Constitution.

“He has  absented himself from major party functions for two years, including the whole period of the by-elections held in October 2017 without giving any reason. He has absented himself from management meetings which he himself called without communicating to any member about the postponement of the said meeting,” MCP deputy chief whip Clement Mlombwa said when he read the communiqué.

MPs also condemned Kaliwo for his signature on the January 13, 2018 letter to Chakwera as one of the reasons  that he had shown his incompetence   instead of engaging with the president personally.

The MPs condemned the letter for containing serious allegations against Chakwera.

“We feel that, if they had issues, themselves being in the same office with the President, should have taken the initiative to solve the said problem,” Mlombwa said.

MPs accused Kaliwo of  gross incompetence for failing to give policy direction to the party .

Kaliwo said he could not respond to the MPs because he does not want “to address party wrangles in the press.”

Meanwhile, the MPs have recommended holding of National Executive Committee conference known as National Convention by March 26, 2018, which is within the 60 day period, as per the constitution.