MCP  ‘Nkholokolos’ lose court case for convention

The High Court in Lilongwe has  ruled that some disgruntled Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members  calling for an early convention in protest of party president Lazarus Chakwera’s style of leadership no longer have sufficient interest in the matter having  been replaced in their positions as chairperson during party election, dismissing the case with costs.

Some MCP officials—including district chairpersons and committee members—dragged the party to court, demanding an emergency convention asserting serious irregularities over how Chakwera runs the party and appointed some national executive committee (NEC) members.

But the court which earlier dismissied  an injunction stopping the elections of office bearers, ruled that after new position holders in the party Lackson Khamalatha and  26 others who filed  to add new applicants to the case, has their application rejected.

In his determination, Senior Deputy Rgistrar of the High Court of Malawi, Justus Kishindo said it was not in dispute that after MCP district elections on 24 September, the faction calling for convention were no longer members of the district committee, therefore have no “locus standi” in the matter.

“It is not in dispute that only district chairpersons can call for a convention in MCP,” pointed out Kishindo in his ruling, citing party constitution.

He said now that the petitioners are no longer district chairpersons,  “they have lost their standi and the application cannot stand.”

Lawyer for the faction, Wesley Namasala confirmed about the ruling, saying they would exhaust all legal actions.

MCP  deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka welcomed the ruling.

He said  the party now has fresh district and constituency committees, saying Nkholokolos (rebels) are being flushed out.