MCP plays down criticism on Chakwera’s reshuffle

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has been accused of flouting and raping the party’s constitution with impunity with the recent appointments that he made to its National Executive Committee (NEC) as the constitution is clear that only the convention has the mandate of electing members of NEC.

Gustav Kaliwo:   Plays down criticism
Gustav Kaliwo: Plays down criticism

Chakwera recently made several appointments which beefed up the party’s NEC with several added positions which some party members say does not exist in the country’s oldest party’s NEC.

One of the MCP lawmakers turned Chakwera’s critic, Felix Jumbe has said MCP constitution has been “raped” with the changes in NEC.

Jumbe, who has been demoted in the NEC reorganisation, saidthe position of campaign director which he held was “a delegated one from the convention, hence non-negotiable.”

He is now second deputy director for strategic planning.

“Whatever happened renders the convention null and void. People need to understand that my appointment was a delegated authority in the sense that the convention only elected the president, his deputy, treasurer and secretary general and these people were given authority to elect and fill the remaining portfolios. Once this is done, no one can tamper with the positions and it’s only the convention that can change the composition of the national executive committee (NEC).

“The MCP constitution protects the president from abusing the powers and start putting friends and relatives into the NEC, but if you look closely this is the trend that’s happening now,” said Jumbe.

MCP Secretary General Gustav Kaliwo said that indeed the convention is supreme authority in the party but said NEC makes some decisions on behalf of the convention for the smooth running of the party.

“When NEC is not sitting the management committee makes such decisions and NEC and the convention can ratify or reject at a later stage. What happened is that the management committee made the recommendation to the president for approval with immediate effect for the smooth running of the party. The president indeed ratified the recommendations of the management committee and there is nothing wrong with that,” said Kaliwo who is also senior legal practitioner.

He gave an example of a corporate company whose owners are shareholders but some decisions are made by the Board of Directors and management implements those decisions.

“The positions that were made will be referred to NEC and the convention at an appropriate time. Meanwhile the party has to operate smoothly hence the recent appointments, there is nothing illegal about this,” clarified Kaliwo.

According to Part 3 and Article 30:2 says: “The members of the National Executive Committee shall be elected by the Convention of the party every five years provided that for the position of the President, he will hold such office for two terms only if elected for the second term.”

In the new appointment there are new positions such Director of Public Relations, Director of Strategic Planning, Director of International Affairs and Director of Economic Planning among others.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
34 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
box13 bilila NU
9 years ago

@mbewa zatha dziko lake liti loti mugawanelo? The entire northen region full of so the so called educated mbwenus, but who cannot handle a political party yet they dream of ruling the entire nation, Over our dead bodies! Bola tivotele gogo Gwanda chakuamba olo wa kalamba, than some one who feels more educated but is sleepy

Mbewa zatha
Mbewa zatha
9 years ago

Most of the bad comments about the mighty MCP are coming from “ANGURU, AKHAKHAKHA, ODYANJOKA, ACHULE KAPENA KUTI AVWIVWIVWI” Dzikoli titati tigawane pali chiyani tigasowe ife choti tingadandaule, because TO, MJ, CZ contribuites little or nothing at all, to this country, only but crooks the mphwiyos, munyapas kwinako mupitiliza nokha a nguru inu, Panyo panu. Ntchito kunyera mu tea komanso kudziwika ndi kuba basi. Mtundu wonunkha ngati mnunkha dala amanena mbuyanu Bingu

Keen Observer
9 years ago

Politics palibe wabwino anthuwa ndi amodzi modzi opusa ndi anthu otsatira omwe malinga ndi poverty & ignorance they just follow blindly that’s the problem. Politician are like football players who can play for Team A today & come tomorrow play for team B useless. Seek The Lord & your lives will be satisfied.

Matako
Matako
9 years ago

Jumbe is a confused man. He harbors ambitions which are not in the best interest of the MCP. In fact I would not be surperised if he is the man mentioned in casg gate as the one who got finances from JB to cause confusion in the party. As an MCP supporter I do not see anything wrong with the reshuffle of the party. I think Jumbe is upset as he feels his new position will not allow him to advance the promises he made to DPP which is to coause confusion in MCP. My advice to Jumbe if you… Read more »

Sammy
Sammy
9 years ago

The president has taken a board decission to demote some members because some of them believed to be benefitted from the famous cashgate but has goofed on mwalwanda.

Khuth'upa o'Machemba
Khuth'upa o'Machemba
9 years ago

o’Chakwera is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG for doing this; in essence, he just nullified results of the vote, based on people’s wishes. By doing this, he just swept aside, with a broad broom, the wishes of the people. Who does he think he is? Some one get a court injunction, baasi. Running a religious organization as a dictatorship is often tolerated, mainly because the people affected do NOT question the holy books; they take the writings literally rather than interpret them. (That’s wrong too.) o’Chakwera should know that politics is run differently. And people expect this in modern politics. Did o’Chakwera… Read more »

marble
marble
9 years ago

It is quiet interesting to read between the lines and discover how clever are DPP propaganda scheme. Kulemba okha article and start flooding the comment column by themselves just to leave. An impression that many people dont love Chakwera anymore. Koma muli bho guys. Mumasova fast. Tiyeni nazo. Kodi paja kutchotsedwa kwa Jean Kalirani pa Secretary General position ija adasankhidwa ku dpp convention nawo a dpp adapitansao ku convention ina???? Kapena adangomusuntha koma kutsala momwemo mu NEC yao ngati mmene Chakwera wasiyila Jumbe mu NEC ???

chefourpence
9 years ago

Nothing strange here! Chakwera was doing the same in the church! He filled all startegic positions with relatives, anganya from his wife and so on. He is one hell of a selfish nepotistic authoritarian devil.

CURUPT CULPRIT
9 years ago

Akamaliza kuthirana mate m’makutu adzatifunse pamene MCP idathera… akulimbirana ziduswa za buledi wa malemu wemwe malemuwonso adaba mu 1964 kwa mizati yeniyeni yomwe idali eni ake a MCP YOMWE idaphedwa ina kuthawa dziko lomwe adamenyera ufulu… MCP=POLLUTED Milk!!!

John
John
9 years ago

Jumbe must learn to respect those in authority. The fact that he was chosen by the Convention does not mean he should become rude to the leadership. No party can tolerate that. Besides, the Convention did not elect him directly. Chakwera had to approve his appointment and this time around he has also approved that he be demoted. Finish!

Read previous post:
Let JB clear herself, probe DPP era cashgate — Malawi watchdogs

Malawi’s former president Joyce Banda has been urged to return home and clear herself on the allegations cashgate convicts have...

Close