So near and yet so far for Malawi Congress Party: Politics may be proving tough for Rev. Chakwera
Richard Msowoya is not your everyday politician. Not particularly abrasive; he normally speaks with forked tongues, especially on hard and fast political matters. He is generally fair, diplomatic in his approach and often prefers human bridge-building language.
When such a politician suddenly comes out and goes on the offensive to start speaking with trail-blazing fire it means he has either been furiously provoked, or something really big is cooking. Whichever the case, it is a tell-tale sign.
Last weekend, Richard Msowoya addressed a political rally at Chimkusa Ground in Mzimba district, barely a week after MCP’s President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera addressed a political rally in Chikwawa district where he welcomed Muhammad Sidik Mia into the party.
Msowoya made it clear that, contrary to what Sidik Mia and other people are imagining, he will not be just a walkover who will go down without a fight. He made it crystal clear that he expects to partner Chakwera on MCP’s 2019 presidential ticket as running-mate.
Sidik Mia also made his intention clear before joining MCP, albeit through a leaked audio speech to a Muslims group that his joining MCP is for a position no less than running-mate to Chakwera so that he becomes Vice President of this country. And he does not seem to have departed from that position. He, in fact, repeated the same line at his welcoming rally,underlining that if Msowoya is a lebwedelebwede (weak), he will indeed snatch the party’s vice presidency position for himself.
This is the reason why many fingers in MCP are pointing at Mia as the main reason why the party seems to be derailing with internal wrangling. They accuse him of cutting corners and blinding Chakwera with money.
As a result, too many feathers have been ruffled and two distinctive camps that hitherto were not as clear as they are nowhave emerged. The first camp comprises Chakwera, Deputy Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka and a majority of the party’s National Executive panel, including now Sidik Mia.
Msowoya’s camp, on the other hand, comprises Jessie Kabwila and other members who were fired from the party (by Chakwera) but recently re-instated plus now Secretary General, Gustav Kaliwo.
In fact, Msowoya himself implicitly acknowledged the existence of the two camps in MCP when he said that “even in the Church the pastor is always comfortable when he is working with the session clerk because he is the dictionary of the church,”
This may be a watershed moment for the MCP and, as much as, it may appear on the surface to be a battle for the running-mate position between Msowoya and Mia, it is pretty much more than that. It is also (in a large measure) a test of political leadership for Chakwera, and may even be a struggle for his own political survival.
Although Msowoya made statements to the effect that Dr. Chakwera is a better candidate to lead Malawi in 2019, the fact is he is silently bitter with his boss for introducing competition for him. He may view the coming in of Mia as a stab in the back and may be tempted to retaliate. His drafting in of Gustav Kaliwo and Jesse Kabwila into his camp is not just a small political move; it is a strategy, and we ain’t seen nothing yet.
To ensure that Mia and Msowoya co-exist under one roof would be a tough call for Dr. Chakwera, and it is an issue which also promises to be as divisive as it will be fatal for MCP if the former church Pastor is not careful. This is where Dr. Chakwera will realize that politics is not as simple as managing ‘Church flock’.
Chakwera, formerly President of Assemblies of God Church in Malawi, now realizes that managing a political party is not just about eloquence and fancy language. It requires one to possess real, detailed and comprehensive transformational leadership qualities. It is much more critical and a much higher plane than he imagined.
Chakwera has been caught wanting as President of MCP and as things are now, the future of the party looks bleak. Whether the two camps will resolve to have a convention on an agreeable date is not certain.
What is clear is that the party will come out of this episode, not stronger but much more bruised and limping. The danger is that this will be happening close to 2019.
It was the general perception of many people that MCP was the closest alternative to the DPP government. In fact, the elections in 2019 were MCP’s to lose. But as things are turning out, it appears the party is more ready to be torn apart by its internal wrangles than assume the reins of government
It is said that a fight of grasshoppers is joy to a crow. The biggest winner of the shadow-boxing in MCP is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The more intense the internal wrangles in MCP become, the more diminished will be its chances of winning in 2019.
Chakwera should also begin to fear for his own future. He can only underestimate the ‘other camp’ at his own peril. These people are not interested to join other political parties and will fight tooth and nail from within. Remember he has been accused of harboring dictatorial tendencies and playing lone-wolf on major decisions. If bwana Chakwera would not play his cards right, the long-awaited MCP national convention can as well prove to be his early retirement.
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Wow Winston Msowoya!!!!! It is now that we are opening our ears and eyes about this Muslim Mia and his friend high priest Chakwera.Continue to open our minds and brains.Come back home and work with your brothers and sisters of AFORD.Now I can see why Hastings Banda was after you.KEEP IT UP!!!!!
It has been my sweeping conviction that Chakwera is helping MCP on self-destruction by colluding with Mia an Arab Muslim.Since this Arab came to national limelight,Chakwera’s leadership has been on trial right and left.His desire to embrace Mia’s vigorous presence in the Party,created double-sided political confussion over the Party.Since the opening of gates to Muslims by Bakili Muluzi,Malaw has been on Islamic radal in the Middle East Islamic Nations hence,the flow of finances into Malawi surreptitiously to buy people like opportunistic L.Chakwera.His desire to replace Mia and get rid of R.Msowoya,has profoundly boomeranged and MCP is very low in national polls especially in the North and South.Chakwera must not blame anybody but,himself.Politics is not Religion.
Ine olo atandithira Doom mkamwa, sindingavotere MCP!
EMUSIPI is strong? kkkkkkkkParty of death and darkness.
Msowoya and Chakwera may at most be advancing MCP’s ideals and values by taking the current political posturing and at the same time being big hearted while recognizing the need to shine a spotlight on 2019 so that the party’s interests are not in conflict with concerns about Mia or anyone else. But the former and the latter knows very well the implications of Mia in the party.
In politics, poor assessment triggers replacing potential candidates with personalities that do not have strong support in areas where those who have been replaced drew their support from. Politically, Mia is not a spent force but a powerful battling ram down south in the likes of Diego Costa for Chelsea. But Mia’s weakness is that his support in the north and the centre is suspect which could be a recipe in driving away potential support. Besides, Mia’s failure to ascending to the position of running mate would be derailed by values and principles of “his faith”. Religion and not politics will rear its head. Interestingly, MCP gurus have awakened from political slumber and are figuring out who is viable fodder for their party.
With the passage of time, one of the “two camps” in MCP will slowly align itself with the political bond at the top brass that remains intact. That camp may make more important case for their policies and values, and win the battle of ideas both within the party and outside it. Kaliwo, who dangled an injunction on Chakwera and later vacated it, may have gone through a debate and discussion in which ideas were clarified and improved, and a better way forward was found. His presence and that of Kabwila at MCP rally in which Msowoya was in attendance was not expected. But the political symmetry unfolding in MCP is likely to replicate in other political parties.
Muluzi provided a solution for this!! So Chakwera need just to use that style and make Msowoya as his 1st vice president and Mia 2nd vice president!! Nanga pali nkhani apa……………………………!!
So we now see that its hunger for power rather than service to the suffering Malawians have endured under the notorious and bloody money thirsty DPP that MCP bigwigs are fight for. Its positions not service to the poor. Little wonder people believe MCP belongs to the opposition. It will take sober mindedness to understand that MCP gurus have a common enemy to fight which is the deadly corruption and theft by the DPP party cadres. Wasting time on matters of positions will take us no where. We now start to think if MCP truly represent the interest of the miserable Malawi or they are minding the future of their pockets.
MCP is strong whoever u hav put ur urgument but knw that MCP is getting stronger each day,,thts why u r cmn here with nosense money wont take u anywhere,DPP is not gona confuse MCP we geared for the elections and u wl c who the giant is,,and one more thing,,GOD is not gona let anybody cheat in this, the ppo of GOD are tired,,we r tired of ths gvnt whetha u like t o not God is gona fight for our nation watch the space
MCP NEEDS TO BE
BECAREFUL
PETER IS NOT SLEEPING
STRATEGIZING SOUTH CENTRE NORTH
IF ONLY PETER CAN ACCOMPOLISH HIS DPP
PROMISES IN THE NORTH
SUCH AS THAT OF AIRPORT
AND MOMBERA THE 50+1 VOTE WILL BE EASY
PLUS PLEASE PETER
DISPLINE YOUR SG ( WA JERFLEY ) THIS IS NOT TIME
FOH HER NASTY JOKES !
Konkuja uli ngati ine olo zitavuta bwanji I cant supoort dpp, I love The Mighty MCP forever
Chakwera is a problem for MCP. He has been pocketing money from Mia since 2013. Mia didn’t just wake-up and say he wants to be running-mate to Chakwera. They have agreed. Simply, Chakwera wants to reward Mia without following procedures. That’s why he has problems with his colleagues who feel there is a convention/ and the lank and file. The case for Chakwera is set. If not careful using lank and file, the former pastor might as well as be voted out at next convention. His colleagues can argue that the former pastor is bringing confusions into the party among other reasons due to lack of political experience and questionable leadership qualities including being unaccountable, undemocratic, arrogant etc. Yes, MCP might be left to Mia, Msowoya and others. It is possible. If a mere pastor can do it why should those with government and business experience not do it. It’s just a matter of negotiating with delegates that it’s time for an alternative to the former pastor he seems confused and wants to confuse everyone.
The best thing Msowoya has done is to come in the open and show the country that he has always been a player in the rebels’ camp hiding behind the Kaliwos and the Kabwilas
All these comments just show how divided we are; some are pro DPP, some are MCP while very few are neutral.
But we all have to understand that Malawians are suffering so we better not give doom prophesy for who we say is what maybe befall on us. Let’s pray for our leaders and our country’s leadership.
Even the leadership of God’s chosen Moses was challenges left and right but he succeeded. Let’s just support them either way because the devil is still awake and vigilant
If Msowoya has a vision for Malawi, then he has to support a movement that is making MCP more popular than before. If, however he is looking for personal gains, then we do not need such leaders at the moment because that means the status quo remains of which we are tired of. History tells us that Msowoya won the MCP VP unopposed because there was no competitor at the convention while Chakwera had 11 competitors. Msowoya is not as popular in his back yard tha “Tumpale” Mwenefumbo who runs the show in the district and he is Aford. In 2014, Msowoya was about to lose his constituency to Khwauli Msiska. Gustuv, too, has failed several attempts to win a parliamentary sit in his backyard in Zomba. Is it therefore necessary to stick with old tricks and hoping to get better results? Doing things the same and expecting different results is inconceivable dullness on a leader who has agitated for change of business as usual approach to doing things. It is just myopic thinking to team up against a popular movement that can usher the party into government because of personal selfish ambitions. Now, we know who has been behind Kaliwo’s arrogance to call and even invite people who are dead to a convention. MCP requires strong candidates from all the regions to win elections and Gustuv is surely not one of them. We need more strong and popular candidates from the Southern and Eastern Region in as much as we need more than just Richard Msowya from the Northern Region for MCP to win 2019 elections. Else MCP will clock 30 years in opposition same number of years it ruled Malawi.
In MCP, Its different, its not the president who chooses the running mate, but he is elected. In MCP a running mate is elected at a convention as per MCP constitution. Msowoya for instance was elected at a convention.
bodza
No, it is not like that, the running mate of mcp is chosen by the presidential candidate of the party, Remember, Hon John Tembo chose mr Brown Mpinganjira as his running mate in 2009 election but the vise president of the party is being elected by the party’s convention. This means that the constitution of Malawi Congress Party allows the presidential candidate to choose any person to be his / her running mate during general election. To this case, mr Msowoya cannot be removed as vise president of mcp by his boss (Dr Chakwera), it is only convention that can remove both the presidents Dr Chakwera and Msowoya including second vise president. My suggestion to this issue is, I emplore Hon Msowoya to be royal to Dr Ckakwera and may be Chakwera can pick him again as his running mate in 2019 election, without that Chakwera will pick any one else.
It is nonsense to fight for the position of running-mate. Don’t they know that presidential candidet has the responsibility of choosing a running-mate to pair with? He is not chosen at a convention and leave Chakwera alone to choose his own running-mate. Politics is a game of numbers not just only entertaining long time serving leaders. A question is between the two Mia and Msowoya who will give MCP more votes during 2019 general elections? mcp leaders must not tear the party because of the issue of running-mate.
Nayenso Msowoya is acting like a bafoon kodi iye sakuziwa kuti running mate amasankha ndi presidential candidate??? ali free even kusankha mkazi wake or even mwana wake nde iye osadikila madzi apite bwanji?
There is no issue here. You think similar camps do not exist in DPP? Chakwera, just like any presidential candidate, will decide whom to pair up with come 2019. And do not deceive yourselves please, MCP has no ‘bleak future’ as you put it.
Party of death and killings!!! Olo mutandiyika paraffin mphuno, I cant cast my vote for MCP!!!!
Even if you dont vote for it Konkuja wa 577 cashgate iwe, Visionery MCP supporters will do and successifully usher the party into Government. Please, be assured we dont need your vote. A Thom Chiumia, mukulembabe zonyoza MCP? Shame? I want to assure you, you should be careful> Anthu akukuonani, akukuwerengani. Eat but there will come another Government tomorrow which may easily remember what you are writing now. It’s All up to you.
My friend, Those who killed in the then MCP are no longer there. Musaiwale pa 21 July kunafa anthu ambiri. Was that MCP?
Most of these stories were told to you at a political podium moti enanu musanabadwe.
Amalawi, tiyeni tilikonde dziko lathu ndi anthu omwe akupezeka mmenemu. Lets learn to forgive and forget and move forward.