Nowa dumps Hope Alliance ‘for fear of arrest’
Controversial Member of Parliament for Mulanje Pasani, Peter Nowa, has succumbed to pressure from ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to dump Hope Alliance, a pressure group of some DPP MPs fighting for good governance in the dictatorial party.
Nowa was paraded on Monday on state Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) where he announced his defection from the pressure group and praised President Bingu wa Mutharika for providing room for dialogue to people who want to meet him, contrary to his [Nowa’s] early sentiments against Mutharika.
A very senior member of the National Governing Council of the DPP told Nyasa Times that Nowa had no choice but dump the pressure group because the party had resolved to have him arrested over his past crimes in connection with theft of cables.
“We told him to either continue castigating the party leadership or face arrest for his past crimes involving Escom cables. So, he accepted to leave Hope Alliance and we are happy that he is back,” the member said.
A senior police officer also confirmed the imminent but cancelled arrest for Nowa.
“All his details were collected and charges in connection with his past criminal record were ready,” the police officer said.
Speaking on state controlled MBC Radio on Monday, Nowa told Malawians to count him out of the Hope Alliance.
“I would like Malawians to know that from today I am no longer a member of the Hope Alliance. The decision has come after discussions with the leadership of the party. The party leadership opens the door to anyone with issues,” he said.
When he asked to tell Malawians what he has done for his constituency, Nowa said, “I would like to thank the President, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika for the overwhelming development in my constituency. We have constructed lots of bridges and school projects.”
But his comment contradict his early statements when he was active in the pressure group. He was quoted in one of the weekly papers tearing Mutharika into pieces for not supporting MPs and let alone people at the grassroots.
Nowa was also quoted saying many DPP followers were disappointed with the party leadership for dumping them since the 2009 elections and giving them nothing for the fight they put up to have the party win the elections.
He predicted doom in another article in the weekly warning the party that it would not win the 2014 elections if it does not swallow its pride and go back to the grassroots and start engaging them.
The NGC member said the party’s strategy to kill the Hope Alliance is working. He said two of the members have now succumbed to the pressure to dump the group.
Blantyre West MP Wells Gama was the first to be paraded on MBC to announce his defection from the pressure group. He was quoted in the press saying it was better for him to dump Hope Alliance to protect his businesses. He claimed government had confiscated his businesses.
Other members Jeffrey Ntelemuka and Moses Kunkuyu swore to continue fighting on whether their businesses were chocked or not.
According to the DPP NGC member who is our source, the party has planned to squeeze businesses of the members of the group and even kill them where necessary. The member said Professor Peter Mutharika who is the party’s 2014 presidential candidate does not want to hear of the Hope Alliance.
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