Mutharika closes DPP successful convention: Thou shall not insult president in amended Constitution

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) convention has ended Tuesday in Blantyre  whenit provided  delegates an opportunity to elect people to serve in various positions in the end good sense prevailed for a large part.

The convention was closed by President Peter Mutharika after rival factions competing for control worked together in peace and relative harmony.

Mutharika, who has been picked as the party’s presidential candidate in next year’s elections,  described the convention as the most democratic and transparent.

However, he said the party should not be complacent as it has to work hard to win the Tripartite elections, saying primaries to pick candidates for parliamentary and loal government should shart next month.

Mutharika also said he was aware that some people were sponsored to vie for positions to destabilise DPP. He vowed to “crush” them.

Said Mutharika: “Those  that have been sent and I know them. I will not let you get away with it. I will not let anyone destabilise the party.”

The convention has also amended the party’s constitution and introduced disciplinary measures against critics.

The  chairperson of the constitution amendment committee Bright Msaka, a lawyer by profession and Minister of Education, Science and Technology, said the amended constitution will introduce disciplinary measures against those that are insubordinate to the party and will also guide the party in promoting patriotism, hard work and integrity.

He said: “We have introduced a code of conduct in the party constitution. This will guide on how to remove people who insult the president and the party. We have also documented all the positions in the party and establishment of disciplinary committee.

“The constitution also authorises the party to establish adhoc disciplinary committees in regions, areas and branches.”

However,  leading daily newspaper, The Nation, said in its editorial comment on Tuesday that  it was a “detractor”  of amendments  in the provision that party members should not criticise the party president or the party itself.

“This is  counterproductive and a back-stab on intra-party democracy,” the paper pointed out.

“The decision has the potential to make the party president and other national governing  council (NGC) members  dictators. It is like moving three steps forward and then taking two steps backward.”

The paper pointed out that the President is ahuman being who is  prone to error and should not be above reproach.

The amendment has also laid down procedures to fight corruption and introduced a four-tier system for the national governing council (NGC).

The constitutional review has also tackled on membership as all members will now be asked to join the party in their areas and work their way up to the NGC.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :