Mutharika under fire for cutting corners to install Kabambe as DPP president
Former president Peter Mutharika has come under intense fire for disregarding DPP rules and cut corners in his quest to install his cousin Dalitso Kabambe as party leader.
One of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopeful has expressed his hopelessness in the whole system of the election of party president, saying it has been hijacked by Mutharika and his cronies who want Kabambe installed as leader by hook and crook.
“The more it looks like an easy issue of a party choosing a presidential successor the more it appears to be heart-wrenching and complicated affair of so near and yet so far.
“At the very top and presiding over this headache is Peter Mutharika himself.
“On paper, the DPP is a political party with a brilliantly written succession framework, which includes the holding of regular elective conferences or conventions to elect its leaders and duty bearers to take the responsibility of managing the party,” says the DPP presidential aspirant who has asked not to be named yet in fear that he would be disqualified from the DPP presidential race.
He says this framework spells out various protocols that must be adhered to by those entrusted with managing the succession process to ensure fairness and integrity to the process.
Part of ‘ensuring integrity’ to the process entails putting neutral people without any vested interests into party organs such as convention committees, which ought to ensure free, transparent and fair conventions so that there are no misgivings from contesting candidates, he said.
He said the objective was meant to help entrench intra-party democracy in the party in tandem with the democratic environment under which DPP exist.
“However, there is a difference between having a brilliant document on paper and another thing following it through and implementing it to the letter.
“For the DPP, it seems having a brilliantly written constitution is as far as the party can go. The reality seems to be something akin to a badly staged political melodrama aimed at elongating a legacy that has outlived its welcome,” he said.
As president of DPP, the party presidential aspirant said, Mutharika is automatically chair of the party’s central executive committee responsible for making crucial decisions for the party including appointing members of the convention committee.
He says it will also be responsible for constituting the committee that will manage the forthcoming convention, which will choose his successor and the party’s torchbearer at the 2025 polls.
“To cut to the chase, by virtue of his position as DPP President and chairperson of central executive committee, Peter Mutharika is in a position to profoundly influence the choice of his successor.
“Now this is where things start getting interesting. There are several candidates that have shown interest to replace Mutharika as President of DPP at the next convention. So far, they include Kondwani Nankhumwa; Bright Msaka; Joseph Mwanamvekha and Dalitso Kabambe.
“Mutharika has clearly shown that he prefers his cousin and homeboy from Thyolo, Dalitso Kabambe to replace him as President of the party,” he said.
He said Kabambe – a political novice – joined DPP after he was fired from his job at the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM).
Kabambe was immediately touted as serious presidential contender to replace Mutharika, and christened top dog; he was given the keys to the presidential enclave and told to hit the campaign trail right away to engage with delegates in reediness for the showdown at the convention,” said the disappointed DPP presidential aspirant.
He said it was clear from the onset he was a product of a scheme, which has the blessings of President Peter Mutharika.
The aspirant said Mutharika has not only shown preference for Kabambe, he has even demonstrated that he is prepared to tweak the system to give him ( Kabambe ) an unfair advantage over other contesting candidates.
“For example, whenever Kabambe appears to be ‘cornered’ on the campaign trail, the so-called ‘central executive committee’ has always rushed to his ‘rescue’ by bending the rules of engagement including stopping the other candidates from campaigning using incomprehensible aliases such as the convention is far away or ‘unity’.
“Mutharika has even opened his house in Mangochi and made it a beehive of meetings for Kabambe people to plot and scheme on how to stop the other candidates and put Kabambe on the throne.
“This is the reason why so many questions are flooding about whether the next DPP convention will be a free and fair process or just a stage-managed affair designed to install a chosen heir to the throne,” he said.
He said these questions are coming because the person who will play a crucial role in presiding over the system and the process of constituting the convention committee – President Peter Mutharika – has his own preferred candidate, his cousin Dalitso Kabambe.
“Now will the process be fair? Are we sure Mutharika will not bend the rules to give an advantage to his preferred candidate?
“What measures have been put in place to ensure that the next DPP convention is a fair process with integrity?” He asks.
He said these may appear not to be particularly vexing questions but the DPP has a scenario that must be solved with urgency to preserve its own future.
More importantly, he said, to ensure that there is peace after the convention and that the party does not split down the middle owing to convention differences.
“As it is now, all indications are that the DPP is heading headstrong into a dangerous convention precipice, which will most certainly spell its political apocalypse if it is not well managed.
“So many pundits have pointed out that APM must step down from his position as President of DPP and chairperson of its central executive committee, and that he must appoint someone neutral to oversee a free, credible and fair convention,” he said.
He said this is owing to the fact that he has shown clear bias towards one candidate, and chances are he will likely want to tweak the process to ensure that his preferred candidate triumphs at the convention.
The aspirant also said that it has also been pointed out that Mutharika appears not to be in full control of affairs in the party, saying since losing the June 23 presidential re-run, he has mostly been a recluse.
He said apart from meeting a few district governors, the DPP President has mostly stayed out of the picture preferring meetings only with a group calling itself ‘central executive’, but practically serving its own stakes, and the interests of Peter Mutharika.
Currently this group is only buying time waiting for Kabambe to get ready and comfortable on the campaign trail to announce a convention date, he said.
Some political commentators also think DPP is slowly but surely sliding into a cesspool of self-destruction if it lets Mutharika cut corners in his burning quest to install his cousin, Dalitso Kabambe, as president of the party.
They reckon Mutharika has failed to play the father figure to the party who must ensure that there is level playing field for all candidates to have equal chances at the presidency.
Said one of the country’s political commentators Goodwin Nyirenda: “As they say, if you think you are leading but you have no one following you, it means you are only taking a walk.
“Mutharika is only taking a walk, and having him presiding over the DPP at a crucial time of its convention could be equated to leaving a hyena to preside over matters of goats.
“Chances are the goats would be devoured.”
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Dalitso Kabambe is a promising leader .. Whether is appointed or ELECTED..DPP will hold convention to elect leaders…IF APM is campaigning for DK, it is personal interest.. majority will decide
The article shows that opponents are really afraid of Kabambe and the mighty DPP
looks like chala chavetsa kuzuna thupi [kudzikwata ndi chala] the opponents you are talking about should be the Nankhumwa i guess or are you talking about MCP and UTM in this? Are you aware that Mcheka Chilenje is no longer an MP, are you aware that Kasaira zathera pa njira as well? stop dreaming man. phwanyanani anyamata azikuwanje mukathana mutiuza.
Whether there is truth in this or not, we are made to understand that DPP intends to hold it’s Convention at an appropriate and opportune time. That is where a 2025 torch-bearer for the party will be decided. The one who is presenting pragmatic and all encompassing ideas, let that person WIN.
A leader shouldn’t be forced onto people; people have the capacity to choose what they want, that is the beauty with democracy. Forcibly instituting leadership is a no go zone. We don’t want to go over once more the experiences we are going through now with Chakwera and his cohorts, a leader whose mandate agreeable by his kinsmen and supposedly “Chearleaders”. Let the best man in DPP hold the ‘Baton’ depending on qualities, qualifications, and people’s general consensus.
To be honest, Dalitso Kabambe sounds an ideal leader as compared to the others mentioned. Kondwani Nankhumwa, Mwanamveka, Msaka, Mpinganjira etc don’t appeal to me. Try new blood. Noone is born with “political experience”. We all learn politics. If possible I could support Dr Kabambe 100 percent, and he could be the only one who can bring back trust in the party and lure back DPP supporters who joined other parties out of frustration. Just my personal opinion.
DPP will never come back to government because it has ruined this country during its time in government.
You are obviously oblivious of the fact that MCP is back when it ruined masses because of it’s political massacre. Or are you too young, how old are you (I am be responding to a 14 year old)? Oh, you are Chosadziwa (how could I miss that?)
MCP could not have been in power if Chilima had refused mgwirizano. So DPP will never come back to power alone unless another mgwirizano with a party of good name not UDF. Mark my words
Which MCP are you talking about you fool? you must be idiot i guess, ask Bakili or Mtaba and Dausi, they will tell you what was happening, tima history tanu tobwela chifukwa cha kuluza zisankhoti, sitikuthandizani.Let me educate you here man, during the one party system there was human rights but very limited, it was not the party which were killing people, it was the people who were killing their fellow members because of their own agendas. these days Chosadziwa has bring in the issues which needs to be looked into.
Zanu izo kazilumanani ma Cadet ine phee kuma stand
What matters most is having a leader who shall win back government. In this matter it can only be fresh blood in DPP, so a winning strategy must be respected above anything else. Elections comes once every 5 years so DPP don’t waste time bickering. Go for new face in DPP! ..that will bring so much relief and change needed.
Hmmmmm…. Knowing Malawians, they will say let the young blood be in opposition first so that tiwadziwe. I am looking forward to seeing Kabambe as leader of opposition
Witchcraft syndrome
Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is not under fire in the mighty DPP and will never be. Mr. Owen Khamula in this article is saying to have been told by one of the aspiring presidential candidate of DPP. I believe this complaining aspiring presidential candidate of DPP must have given this journalist ndalama to bublish this story. For the interest of time, Dr. Dalitso Kabambe is not a cousin to APM and are not related in any way…do i have to define who a cousin is? These four DPP aspiring presidential candidates are all at the ground kutiuza ife ma deligates the reasons and the importances of having each one of them as a presidential candidate. Ndipo tonse tikumva zomwe akunena, koma mukamvetsera mwachidwi kwambiri, pali aspiring presidential candidate mmodzi wa DPP yemwe muzokamba zake zikuonekeratu kuti wagalukira, waukira apatsogolo pake. This aspiring presidential candidate of DPP is none other than KONDWANI GEORGE MALEMA NANKHUMWA…Ameneyu ndiamene akulankhula moukira utsogoleri wa DPP, mosiyana ndi ma aspiring presidential candidates ena atatu, no wonder ineyo suspicion yanga ikupita kwa nkulu ameneyu yemwe alindi ma surname awiri kuti is behind the publishment of this article. One good thing of this article is that it would give a platform for those holding opposite views like i myself to air out our thoughts and be heard. Nankhumwa has been behind the poor performance of DPP in the last elections. Nankhumwa has been behind the elimination of vice president Chilima from DPP. Paja APM akamachoka dziko ankamusiyira Nankhumwayo, Vice president Chilima ali mu dziko lomwe lino. Nankhumwa ndiwamiseche, mabodza. Ndiamene ankaipitsa azinzake kwa president Mutharika. A very good example is that leaked audial of that phone call he made to his fellow disgrantled outcast Gerezeda Jefule, before the birth of UTM which was broadcasted live on Zodiak radio ndipo mpaka lero audial imenei ilipo pa youtube. In this leaked audial, Nankhumwa ankawajeda azinzake, mwanji wa achina Mwanamveka ndi Henry Mussa kuti nawo alowa nao ku UTM. Mabodza a Nankhumwa ndiomwe anapangitsa Gerald Viola kuchotsedwa pa mpando ngati mneneri wa president. Nankhumwa ankaululalanso zinsinsi za mu DPP kwa Chilima. Kodi inu simunkadabwa kuti chinthu tichikambirana lero ku DPP kuno chaku madzulo mmawa mukapeza Chilima akuchinena pa nsonkhano? Zimenezo nde ntchito za Nankhumwa. Nankhumwa is behind the assaulting of Mr. Bown Mpinganjira at crown hotel in Lilongwe. Dr. Dalitso Kabambe ataona kuti convid 19 yavuta miyoyo ya anthu ikupululuka chifukwa chosowa zopumira za oxygen mzipatala, donated 6.2 billion to government from the Reserve Bank Of Malawi when he was the Governor of the central Bank. Lero Nankhumwa ali busy kudya mwa kuba ngati njenjete ndalama izi…receiving K250,000.00 in a day for fuel and K120,000.00 as substaince allowance on the very same day…nzanu akumanga inu mukugumula. Pa times exclussive ndi Wonderfu Msiska, Nankhumwa anafotokoza kuti iye ngati wa DPP adauzidwa ndi a speaker a MCP kuti akangomusankha iyeyo Nankhumwayo kuti akhale leader of opposition kuti ma business a parliament apitilire, akuti as a precautionally measure. He further said ngati pangakhale kusintha tidzasintha. Kodi leader of opposition amasankhidwa ndi speaker chonchi? Kodi leader of opposition amene alipoyu akufanana ndi ma leader of opposition analipo mbuyomu? Ukamamva sukulu ya Nankhumwa zimapatsa chidwi kwambiri…kodi kwanuko alipo mwana wa standard 8 yemwe alindi ma surname awiri? maina mpaka 4 mu standard 8? kodi mphamvu za degree ya correspondance zingafanane ndi mphamvu za degree yaku Chanco?? Nankhumwa sakuperekanso ulemu kwa APM, contrary to his fellow aspiring presidential candidates. Za convention ya DPP Nankhumwa sizikumukhudza ndipo sangapereke date ya convention ya DPP. Nankhumwa sadzabwera ku convention ya DPP ndipo yekhanso komwe aliko akudziwa. Ma deligates ndi ena onse ndiokwiya kwambiri ndi Nankhumwa. Ku msonkhano wa ku chikwawa Nankhumwa anamuuza APM kuti akaluza akadya limodzi nandolo kuchisoka, kodi pano Nankhumwa akudya limodzi nandolo kuchisoka ndi Adad? Lero tachoka m’boma mpaka kukacheza ndi mkazi wa Kamuzu Banda, Mama Cicelia Tamanda Kadzamila, zoona? Dr. Dalitso Kabambe is fitting in well as the saviuor to our mighty DPP and this has brought great tension and fear to the NONSE led goofment. Ndipo ngati Chakwera angamalize zaka 5 pampando ndi mwai chifukwa anthu akuvutika kwambiri…tikamuchotsa ndi manja kumeneko, please mark my words. Dr. Dalitso Kabambe is humble, very wise and intelligent with vast experience. Dr. Kabambe has serve in different positions including that of a budget Director and was the engine room for Bingu’ successfully 7 year term. With sound education kuposa yemwe alemba nkhani komanso yemwe amutumayo…omukondafe timamutchula kuti DK2025 chocha nsanga, chopirira ku chiwau, chopirira ku ng’amba, chopirira ku ntchembere zandonda, nankafumbwe akadya mano amagweruka. DPP WOYEEE…APM WOYEEEE …DK2025 WOYEEEE
Nankhumwa is deluded wit his stolen certificates
Kadeti akuwotha moto ku Nsanje in October.Pezani zina zochita. You made more enemies than friends. 60% of Malawians approved that you left. You will never and I repeat never come back to the podium.
ukunamatu iwe boma sitisokhelana uziona 2025 DPP will be bak to government osati tikuziona lerozi munkafuna mutalamula koma zikukunyelani zipan mpaka 9 kufuna kugwetsa chida chimodzi kkkkkk
Kabambe on paper seem the right leader for DPP and even for this country if he was to win but politically he falls short on experience. For other contenstants you are all simply going to be labeled rebels since you are trying to frustrate the plan of bwana Peter Mutharika. My advice is don’t wait until convention time to take your own path it will be too late but start now. There is no future in DPP for the other presidential contenstants.
Khazeeee
Anakhumwa akufuna apitise kuti ..Ali ndi Ndalama? Kapena akufuna u chair.Nkhanga zikuwadziwa
Some of us have known for ages that the Mutharika’s want to rule in perpetuity, whether in person or using surrogates, as appears to be the case with Kabambe after stashing billions from RBM. What APM is trying to do is buying insurance for his safety in case DPP bounces back to power.
I have no problem with Kabambe but the way he was rewarding himself at RBM worries me in that he could be even more demanding as the country’s CEO.
Hahahaha…The man is sharp upstairs..osati izi za a George Malemia zi. All he knows is kuthana ndi aliyense ali threat…Akweni anathana nawo,uyu VP anathananaye,Kaloswe anathana Nate…DPP anayiyenda pansi…
For those in the know, exactly how is Kabambe related to APM??
Why politicians doesn’t learn? What happening with UDF its a very good sign for others to learn, the old man from Mangochi can’t control and lead people, we have seen how he spent his 6 years in government, very shame and regrettable
Bwana Nakhumwa dikilani kaya
Mavuto anu awo ife a Tonse tili kumpenya basi zikuphulikileni mmanja. Apa mukuti mkulu ameyu ni mnsuwani wake wa Peter kodi nanunso mumangolembana pachibale eti? Musiyiletu kwanena abusa pa nkhani zo chewa mwava.Tsono apa DPP yupita kumalecheleche.Alidere nkulinga utayenda naye kaya o Dausi olipo solilakatula bwa?
Kuganiza ngati achina Arthur Chiphiko, the CHEFO alcoholic opportunist
A simple question to the “aggrieved” DPP presidential aspirant in this story: do these alleged mechanisations by APM APM surprise you? How was APM himself chosen to be president of DPP?
Most articulate Malawians already know that DPP is a party that belongs to Lhomwes in general and the Mutharika family specifically…no non Lhomwe will ever lead DPP!
End of story tell them
Monga iriri MCP,kumamalidzisa
Well said. When they were together enjoying the fruits of lanour, they remained quiet. Now they are accusing each other as if they have been any better
Dr DK 2025 woyeeeeee!
As a matter of fact, majority of supporters want people like kabambe to lead so as to renew the party, give it new blood. The other contestants don’t bring anything new and valuable to the party. John tembo installed chakwera to lead the party of death and darkness amidst protest from the establishment, but today the party is in power.
So APM has every right as leader to ensure the right calibre succeed him.
John Tembo did not install Chakwera. Ku MCP utsogoleri suyendera ku banja and the current leader has no power to chhse successor.
#Kamuzu never voted when chakuamba was elected.
#Chakuamba never voted for Tembo when he was being elected.
#Chakwera won without Tembo’s support
Tears of a loser, mwayamba kale kukodzedwa pomwe convention siidati, mwazipima mwaona kuti simukumaka pa Kabambe now you want people to sympathise with you, go and ask the mphezi guy from MCP, who used the same tactic here but he was crushed like a baby snake, man up and compete like everyone else osati zomagwiritsa ntchito ma reporter otuwa wa ali mbuu! ndi maluzi
That’s my sentiment too. Using reporters. If the kitchen is too hot, then get out. Kabambe yemweyo kuti wawawa!
The same Kabambe , a novice in politics, was busy selling himself to the electorate in Nsanje during by-election campaign and at the same time doing an advertisement or selling of DPP candidates. Now, if people have hope and belief in the much touted Kabambe, wouldn’t he have made DPP candidates reclaim their parliamentary seats?
I think people in DPP get overzealous with things not good for their future. The same Kabambe has been drawing a hefty salary at RBM as if his qualifications were obtained from a university in Mars, he is just an Economist like any other in Malawi; isn’t that plundering and being greedy against poor Malawians in prevailing poor economic conditions? Given the mantle of leadership, can such a person have benevolent spending for the country?
Don’t worry about dpp ikutha slowly if not fast. Lost two seats in Nsanje and one in Karonga. Kutsaira left. A party that won all seats in Kasungu, Ntchisi, Ntcheu and almost all in the north in 2009. It’s finished. Isadzabwerenso dpp. From the article, APM made his cousin governor of RBM and looted there? APM belongs to apes. Zamunthu mulibiretu.
Mmmmh inu tapitani kuchipatala akamupimeni. Monga inu ndinu nokha amene simukuzindikira kuti UTM is the party which is dying slowly if not fast, and it is doing so while in a coalition government? It’s becoming more apparent that UTM was the biggest loser of 2020 fresh presidential elections. Bwana Chilima, ndikweze volume ngati?
Truth be told, the sponsor of this article, che george malemia nankhumwa knows that Kabambe is the best of all the hopefuls. DPP needs fresh air and clearly one cant get it from the nankhumwas. Kabambe woyee!
That is the big problem with Malawian politics, we had the same with UDF, PP, DPP and now DPP again. Parties are controlled by the leader because in most circumstances he/she is the only person with cash.
Why not mention MCP. In fact, Chakwera was handpicked by JT and we all know this as a result of their relationship brought up by their children’s marriage.
The guy is sharp and visionary. Much as the process is not transparent but he is a best among other contenders. Let us all support him.
Which underfire are you talking about? DPP as a party is intact and even though you sponsor mafias to write negatively about it, you are only wasting your time. You will never succeed. Already, you have failed a big time to lead the government to stole through the court, using lawyers, now nothing moves on. Every system has collapsed, it it now a family government ruled by a court state president. It is undebatable that Chakwera, Chilima and their Tonse Alliance government have failed Malawians.
akanakhala sharp akanapanga sozowa anacita zija??? dpp tiistaye azicebwetsana okha. atitaisa nthawi