MCP rocked by civil war as Chakwera makes brazen bid to cling to power

Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) descended into chaos today as a crunch leadership meeting exploded into a bitter row over former president Lazarus Chakwera’s audacious attempt to rewrite party rules and extend his grip on power.

Tempers reportedly flared behind closed doors at the party’s Lilongwe headquarters as senior figures clashed over Chakwera’s controversial push to amend the MCP constitution — a move that would tear up the party’s two-term limit and clear the way for him to seek re-election as leader.

The explosive proposal has plunged the party into fresh turmoil, just as it battles to rebuild its shattered image following its bruising exit from government.

Chakwera was said to be present throughout the fraught session, flanked by his most senior lieutenants — vice-president Catherine Gotani Hara, secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda, campaign director Moses Kunkuyu, Leader of Opposition Simplex Chithyola Banda and youth director Steve Baba Malondera.

Adding fuel to the fire, delegates also clashed over a bombshell plan to carve the Central Region into four separate administrative regions — a proposal insiders say has deepened splits within the party’s ranks.

Critics fear the twin proposals could plunge MCP into a fresh succession crisis, reigniting long-simmering questions over internal democracy and who truly controls the party’s future.

But MCP bosses were tight-lipped in the aftermath, refusing to confirm the extent of the drama unfolding inside the meeting.

Party spokeswoman Jessie Kabwila batted away questions, insisting it would be wrong to reveal details before the gathering had concluded.

‘It would be premature to reveal the issues under discussion at this point,’ she said, doing little to quell mounting speculation over what was really said behind closed doors.

The high-stakes showdown could prove pivotal for the party’s future, with the outcome set to determine whether Chakwera succeeds in tightening his hold on the leadership — and whether MCP presses ahead with its explosive plan to redraw the Central Region’s political map.