Nation newspaper says Malawi may risk reverting to a one–party: ‘MCP squabbles put democracy at stake’

Main opposition and the country’s oldest party Malawi Congress Party (MCP) continued infighting is worrisome as it puts the country’s hard won democracy at state and the party has been advised to stop the political bickering.

Chakwera flanked by MCP members: Put your party in order

MCP Regional Chairmen on Thursday challenged   their secretary general Gustav Kaliwo and his deputy Chatonda Kaunda that the party would be holding a national convention from July 7 to 9 this year following growing concerns with the leadership, saying they should wait for 2018 for the party National Executive Committee (NEC) to call for the convention.

Malawians expected MCP to go into a serious rebuilding exercise ahead of the 2019 Tripartie Elections, but unfortunately as The Nation newspaper editorial comment of Friday puts it,  this is not what is happening in the party.

The paper obrseved that the bickering is “weakening the party” which is yet to make remarkable inroads into the South where the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its political bedfellow United Democratic Front (UDF) have  total control.

The comment also noted that why MCP are in fiery internal squabbles, DPP and UDF seem to have gone into a serious programme to consolidate their grip to power.

“These squabbles will not only hurt MCP, but Malawi as a whole as they will rob the country of meangiful opposition  in and outside parliament,” the editorial reads in part.

It pointed out that Malawi may risk reverting to a one –party system of government, especially with the People’s Party which also seems to have lost the steam.

“We implore MCP leaders to put aside their differences and start working towards building and not destroying the party,” said The Nation editorial comment, urging MCP president Lazarous Chakwera and his adversary secretary general Kaliwo to be “talking to each other so that they iron out their difference.”

And the paper also quoted Mzuzu-based political commentator Emily Mkamanga who expressed concern with MCP infighting with only two years before elections.

She said MCP as the oldest party in the country and the official opposition  was supposed to be “exemplary.”

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Oliver James Chabwera
Oliver James Chabwera
6 years ago

I wonder why many Malawians call Dr Chakwera abusa…. when making comments against him as if to be a pastor is a wrong thing in life, our president was a teacher at the university why not calling him aphunzitsi…. Everyone has a background.

This MCP we see in the opposition side today come 2019 you will see it in the ruling benches

zaka
zaka
6 years ago

Dpp singawope Mcp ,ndipo sinawopepo mcp,chifukwa chake inakupezani ku opposition ,inakusiyaninso komweko,just put your house inoder ,dont live in denial alwalys choncho simungasithe mukhala choncho ,and for your information mcp payokha singawine masankho pamalawi pano.

Tsalayekha Mzika
Tsalayekha Mzika
6 years ago

Whether sponsored or not, MCP should prove democratic enough to lead the country. If their leader can’t deal with petty party issues how can he deal with critical issues of the nation? We need MCP leadership which is better at intra-party democracy than the ruling party itself. Otherwise, we have no future with leaders who are intolerant with the members of their own party and prove to have no wisdom in resolving small party issues and resort to blame others. Are you so weak that you can’t defend your party unity from outside forces? Are you telling us of your… Read more »

Senior Chief Sapitwa
Senior Chief Sapitwa
6 years ago

I have full details of who financed Kaliwo’s conference. Just text on 31072 tollfree. MCP is a party feared by DPPP heavily. Sagona tulo mamembalawa. Chakwera 2019 Boma. Bomailo likubwera.

JBC Atate
JBC Atate
6 years ago

The problem is that most of us are experts in living in denial. I agree with the Nation Newspaper editorial comment; the continued infighting in MCP is a menace to our democracy considering that MCP has been providing meaningful balance of power since the dawn of multiparty democracy in 1994. The fact that the squabbles may be sponsored by some external forces does not mean that MCP won’t be affected by the infighting. Such tactics are used anywhere in the world. What matters is how a party responds to such external forces to minimise its impact. Indeed it’s high time… Read more »

DOBO
DOBO
6 years ago

Bodza ilö!!! Where were you when MCP was in serious squables,infighting during Tembo v Gwanda squable? Where were you when MCP was deadly squable during Tembo v Ebel Kayembe or Chafukira who were also sponsored.Koma atokhala nkhani aku Malawi.Do you think. sponsored few in MCP can lead to one party or can finish MCP off. All fout Goverments and tjree rulimg parties have failed to finish MCP off.

Chafukira
6 years ago

We will see this coming elections you kaliwo with you stories

mkika
mkika
6 years ago

more divisions are coming during primaries in MCP it will be old mcp vs new mcp blood.wich will lead to more indipendint MPs. pamenepo ndi pamene mudzadziwe kut game yakukulirani

nazonzeruwawa
nazonzeruwawa
6 years ago

He who has eyes must see the external invisible hand

Bwengu nitown
Bwengu nitown
6 years ago

Malawi will never go back to one party system of government, I swear because not all of us are weak minded and money hungry like Kaliwo, Kuntsaira, Ntaba, Felix Jumbe just to mention a few who changes political colors for monetary benefits. You associate the MCP with attrocities but those of us who have been there from those days knows the truth and thats why the current MCP has a good number of youths because they know the ones who were leaders of the bad deeds are now in other political parties. The problem is wakwithu syndrome which is putting… Read more »

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