The main opposition party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has categorically rubbished a shadow cabinet that its leader in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, constituted.
According to a statement that has been released today (13th February 2022) by the Party’s Administrative Secretary, Francis Mphepo, the DPP does not recognize the appointment of a Shadow Cabinet in the National Assembly.
“The DPP appointed its Parliamentary Spokespersons on specific matters like Economy, Legal Affairs, Health, Agriculture, etc.,” says the statement adding that “the DP will therefore only present its position on specific matters in the national Assembly through its Parliamentary Spokespersons”.
The statement also revealed that the DPP leadership outside Parliament was not consulted in the appointment of the said shadow cabinet and proceeded to nullify the authority of the purported appointees.
“The DPP leadership was not consulted in the appointment of the of the said Shadow Cabinet and those appointed in the Shadow Cabinet have no authority whatsoever to speak on behalf of the DPP in the National Assembly”, reads the statement adding that; “the DPP believes that a Shadow Cabinet serves no purpose in a Hybrid Government System of Presidential and Parliamentary System practiced in Malawi”.
Recently, DPP has been rocked in an infighting staccato which has resisted all resolution efforts, legal ones inclusive.
There are two distinct warring factions in the party, in which one is led by the embattled Leader of Opposition in Parliament who also the party’s Vice President for Southern Region, Kondwani Nankhumwa. The other faction is headed by the party’s incumbent president, Peter Mutharika whose grip of authority in the party is, according to commentators, arguably fading.
In February 2020, DPP presser was marred by ugly scenes of violence after the two camps in the leadership race were involved in physical altercation. Unknown thugs manhandled former spokesperson for the party, Brown Mpinganjira, whose royalty leaned toward the Mutharika faction.
Among others, the now wishful Nankhumwa’s Shadow Cabinet featured lawyer Bright Msaka SC as a Shadow Minister of Justice and economist Joseph Mwanamveka as Shadow Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, both of which affiliated to DPP’s main camp which already appointed them as DPP’s Spokespersons on legal affairs and Finance and economic affairs accordingly.
