MP Banda challenges Tembo for MCP top post: ‘I’m not scared of him’
Member of Parliament for NkhotaKota Central, Edwin Banda , has challenged Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Zenus Ungapake (JZU) Tembo, saying he will finish him at the forth coming elective conference.
Banda has emerged as a courageous politician in MCP to openly dare the 78-year old veteran politician who has been in politics longer than any other existing politician in Malawi.
But Banda, a lawyer by professional, told a local private radio that he is geared to make history by ending the political career of JZU at the party’s convention whose date has not yet been communicated.
“I have strong position now and am certain of defeating Tembo at the convention; I’m not scared of him as I said I have done my home work properly and the most important thing is that God is on my side,” challenged Banda who is also a Pentecostal cleric.
Commenting on his chances of bringing down arguably one of the country’s most feared politician as previous attempts by some other members were craftily thwarted; Banda said Tembo has passed his expiry date hence no longer an asset for latter politics.
“When I say I will defeat Tembo at the convention I’m not bluffing,” said.
“ I cannot be compared to those that failed previously because I am my own man and I’m using a different strategy altogether,” added Banda.
On his prospects of taking the party that ruled Malawi for 31 years with an iron fist under founding president Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the cunning legislator said with all things being equal, MCP would assume the country’s leadership.
“MCP is in no doubt the most organized party in the country; the only problem has been the top leadership but that’s not a real problem because I’m the alternative to Hon. Tembo, the man has done his part and it is time for others like myself to take over. When I say taking over I’m not saying staging a coup against the old man; I will do it through democratic means at the convention,” added Banda.
Despite attempts by so called ‘young blood’ to wrestle power from him, Tembo has remained unmoved and has instead used his long stay in politics to ‘crash-into-powder’ his challengers.
