Msonda condemns DPP-backed anti-Chakwera protests

Senior National Governing Council (NGC) member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Ken Msonda has condemned his own party for mobilizing and sponsoring ‘thugs’ to loot, steal and beat innocent people in the name of a peaceful demonstration to force President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to resign.

Msonda – who is also the Executive Director of Independent Political and Good Governance Analysts Think Tank – has also described calls for Chakwera to resign as baseless and silly, adding that those who are calling for the demonstrations have a hidden agenda.

“I strongly object to the calls from other quarters including the opposition for the state president and his vice to resign, call for referendum through demonstrations being organized and sponsored by those who just want to enrich themselves,” he said.

Msonda added: “These calls and demonstrations are unnecessary, undemocratic, uncivilized and primitive line of thinking because they do not provide a solution to bail Malawians from the current global economic challenges.”

He warned his fellow DPP loyalists that trying to unseat a democratically elected president is a crime; hence, the party must wait until 2025 when Malawians will go to the next presidential poll.

“Our argument is that we can only unseat a democratically elected head of state and it’s administration through a ballot box and not organizing thieves into the streets to steal properties and goods from fellow hardworking Malawians.

“This nonsense and silliness of ferrying thieves and thugs into the streets to loot, steal, beat innocent people and law enforcement officers, stone vehicles or kill police officers must stop,” warned Msonda.

Msonda stressed that DPP’s argument that Tonse Alliance administration came to power through the same “thieves, thuggery, murderous, undemocratic, uncivilised and primitive demonstrations” does not hold water; it’s making a bad situation worse.

“Two wrongs does not make a right, an eye for an eye shall make all of us blind,” he added.

The DPP NGC member urged Malawians to hold hands and support Chakwera on how best he can resolve the current economic crisis by, among other things, reducing unnecessary levies, taxes, fuels and other essential commodities.’

Msonda cautioned DPP against taking Malawians for granted and stop wasting time on useless in-house fighting for party presidency.

“Instead the party should offer checks and balances to the Tonse Alliance administration. In a multiparty democracy the opposition plays a very important role, it holds the ruling party accountable on its campaign promises for the betterment of the suffering Malawians.

“What is happening in my party, the DPP is weakening the opposition hence its business as usual for the ruling MCP Tonse Alliance administration,” emphasized Msonda.