The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has swiftly moved to respond to the scathing decision in which their proxy Shadreck Namalomba sued the Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa claiming some of the decisions he took as leader of the opposition were supposed to be taken in consultation with the party leadership. The High Court decision by Judge Mzondi Mvula solidified the powers of the leader of the opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa unequivocally stating that the Leader of the Opposition has the discretion to align his charges the way he wants in order to effectively oppose the government.
However, the DPP politburo meeting at party President’s PAGE House in the lakeshore district of Mangochi has elected George Chaponda as the leader of the opposition and Vuwa Kaunda as Chief Whip in Parliament.
This is a fresh battle the DPP has embarked on in challenging the authority of the leader of the opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa who was elected to the position of the leader of the opposition by the DPP Parliamentarians in Parliament under the direction of the Speaker.
It is therefore uncertain if the DPP’s decision to have Chaponda elected leader of the opposition will stand in Parliament. Meanwhile, Nankhumwa who is also the party’s vice president for the South says will move the courts for contempt of court on the part of the DPP gurus led by President Mutharika who held the meeting in Mangochi without inviting him.
If he argues successfully, it will mean the decision that the DPP politburo may have passed at PAGE House will be rendered void. Chaos in DPP has been reigning supreme since the party lost power in 2020. Political analysts claim that Lazarus Chakwera, the incumbent president of the Republic of Malawi, has an advantage on the local political landscape as a result of the ongoing DPP instability.
