Nankhumwa on mission to strengthen DPP grassroots structures: Tears apart Tonse Alliance

A strong part of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rebuilding process is developing, empowering and strengthening the party’s grassroots structures to win future elections, vice-president’s (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa has said.

He was speaking on Sunday, October 18, 2020 when he held two separate meetings with DPP district and constituency committee members, traditional chiefs as well as ward councillors drawn from Chikwawa Urban and Nsanje North (at Fatima Community Day Secondary School) and Nsanje Urban and Nsanje Chiromo istricts and Nsanje Southwest, South and Lalanje constituencies (at Nyamithambo, Nsanje Boma).

DPP lost power following the June 23, 2020 fresh presidential election when its presidential candidate Peter Mutharika lost to Lazarus Chakwera of  Malawi Congress Party (MCP) who was propelled to power by the Tonse Alliance  with vice-president  Saulos Chilima as his running mate.

Nankhumwa said although DPP lost its grip on power, it is prudent for the party to acknowledge the efforts that leaders at grassroots level invested to mobilize support, which resulted in the DPP candidate amassing a whooping 1.7 million votes.

“On behalf of the party, I came here to convey a message of appreciation for the good job that you did. APM (Mutharika) got an impressive amount of votes during the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election and therefore we cannot take your contribution for granted. I say thank you,” said Nankhumwa, who also serves as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

He said he is holding meetings with office-bearers in all districts under his jurisdiction not only to thank the members for their hard work but also encourage them to work harder in growing the party at grassroots level. This, he said, would ensure that the party reclaims government in 2025 when the next elections are due.

“Winning an election is not an easy undertaking. It requires good strategies and policies that are commensurate with the people’s aspirations. But above all, charity begins at home; let’s put our house in order first so that we earn the trust of the people. One way of doing that is to allow peace, unity, love and tranquility exist at all levels of the party. That way, we’re going to be a successful party,” he said.

Nankhumwa assured the members that he remains the elected Vice President of the DPP for the Southern Region and that “there is no one iota of truth in stories that I am contemplating to join or form another party”.

He also informed the members that they must ignore claims that there is a new VP for the South, saying such claims emanate from a few greedy and disgruntled officials whose agenda is to foment divisions.

“I am a DPP member since its inception in 2005 and I shall die a DPP member,” he emphasized.

In conclusion, Nankhumwa claimed the Tonse Alliance government has failed to deliver on their campaign promises and that this is an opportunity for the DPP to return to power because during its time, the DPP achieved various tangible developments.

 

“The DPP does not promise what it cannot deliver whereas in the Tonse Alliance made pledges during the campaign that they are failing to fulfill and it is obvious Malawians will vote them out and return DPP to power,” he said, explaining that the Tonse Alliance promised Malawians three meals a day; 1 million jobs; free electricity and water connection; 14,000 Kwacha passport; and cheap universal fertilizer, among others, “but nothing has materialized”.

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