Tembo ‘rejected’ for MCP presidency
The verdict has been passed. Veteran Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo has been stopped from contesting for party presidency for the third term.
About 670 convention delegates meeting at the Natural Resources College in Lilongwe expressed a big ‘No’ in the vernacular when a bid to amend the party constitution to allow Tembo seek a third time luck.
The delegates, who refused to go through the voting system, opted for a voice vote which almost all of them said no.
Meanwhile, the party escaped an eleventh hour injunction which was taken by some delegates from Thekelani in Thyolo who thought they will be denied access to the convention.
According to the Potipher Chidaya, the party had an emergency meeting where they agreed to let every delegate in to avoid the cancelling of the convention.
“It’s true that one group from Thekelani had taken the injunction, but as soon as we got the news, we decided to let them in so when they brought the injunction in the morning, they found out that their names have been approved.”
The convention is expected to elect a president who will also lead the party in next year’s tripartite election as well as office bearers for other positions. So far 10 candidates will contest for the party’s presidency.
Other contestants are secretary general Chris Daza, former Malawi Assemblies of God president Lazarus Chakwera; retired Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo; former Cabinet Minister Jodder Kanjere; former secretary general Betson Majoni; MPs Edwin Banda (Nkhotakota central); Joseph Njobvuyalema (Lilongwe Mapuyu South); Watson Makala-Ngozo (Lilongwe Mpenu); former director of political affairs Eston Kakhome; former president of Farmers Union of Malawi, Felix Jumbe; and former MP Lytton Dzombe withdrew from the race.
