The Age Bill controversy is just a fresh battleground for DPP’s unresolved succession disputes
It must be underlined, here, that the battle for the office of the Leader of Opposition, which hasn’t been sorted yet, and current controversy over the Age Bill debate are not issues that stems from public interest.
These two issues stem from one undeniable fact: the failure by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to handle its internal succession issues.
Let me explain to you.
Two years ago, DPP leader Peter Mutharika told Malawians that he is no longer going to stand in the 2025 polls, as such, he has left the space open for deserving ones to compete and lead the party.
Several names emerged and, among others, included stalwarts such as Kondwani Nankhumwa, George Chaponda, Bright Msaka, Dalitso Kabambe and, if not mistaken, Joseph Mwanamveka.
If you recall, there was even a photo that the party released bearing Mutharika and all these names—a symbol that the floor is open for anyone to maneuver and prove they can lead the party.
Unfortunately, things started taking a different route when, knowingly or not, the DPP found out that, among those who showed interest, it was Nankhumwa who was gaining enviable and considerable strides.
It appeared Nankhumwa was not favoured by Mutharika, as a result, the party started to throw strategic spanners on his way to frustrate him. This was the birth of two camps in DPP: Nankhumwa Vs Madala camp.
The battle between these two camps, at first, were solely fought internally and the climax of it all was when Nankhumwa and team were expelled from the party.
However, after Nankhumwa’s expulsion and his eventual resistance and careful fightbacks, the battle moved from being fought internally to being fought in public spaces.
DPP moved to replace Nankhumwa as the Leader of Opposition with Chaponda—a development resulted in court battles which, sorry to say, Nankhumwa appear to be winning.
What must be underlined is that what started as DPP’s intra-party conflict turned into a national problem because Parliament couldn’t fully function, for days, as matters were in court.
Well, the same thing is happening now with Age Bill controversy.
According to little information out there, this bill aims at putting a provision that stops those above 80 years old to compete on the position of the presidency.
To some, and there are many, there is a thought that this bill targets Mutharika who, already, confirmed that he will lead DPP in next years polls. Arguably, if there is a movement to block him, surely, it must be coming from the frustrated ones in the party who feel he is blocking new faces to lead the party.
Well, if you recall, it was Nankhumwa who, at first, registered to present this bill in Parliament. After the backlash, Nankhumwa recoiled and withdrew the bill and there was word, already, that the bill may resurface but with a different face.
Interestingly, on Tuesday this week Nankhumwa released a statement distancing himself from social media circulations purporting that he is bringing the Age Bill back to Parliament. A few hours later, an order paper surfaced showing that DPP MP Welani Chilenga is the one set to table the bill.
Even before its tabling, two DPP MPs—Sammeer Suleman representing Mutharika’s interests and Mark Botomani representing Nankhumwa’s interest—almost took to the blows in Parliament over the same Age Bill issue.
Arguably, the Age Bill does indeed smell everything to block Mutharika from being on the ballot. This, if carefully analyzed, is a machination from the Nankhumwa camp with, direct or indirect, blessings from several other contenders who feel frustrated by Mutharika’s comeback bid.
From these two instances, it clear that the battle for Leader of Opposition was Mutharika’s ploy to finish Nankhumwa and the Age Bill controversy it is Nankhumwa fighting back.
Why can’t DPP resolve their internal issues without taking them to the public?
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