Former Malawi Broadcasting Cooperation Director General, Bright Malopa, who was once touted as a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) strategist has accused the party for engaging in a self-destruction mode by allowing to solve its problems in a very undemocratic way. Below is the full excerpt of the Malopa venom to DPP.
DPP problems are self-inflicting. They should just follow their constitution and adhere in full to their own name (Democratic Progressive Party). That means when faced with a challenge, their approach to solving the problem must always be democratic and progressive. It also means appreciating that Leaders keep changing in a democracy even though this has a potential to create instability. In any case instability evolving from a democratic process has people’s buy in as a safety net. After all Democracy is all about political competition and power play. When that happens, it is not disrespectful to the leadership to be ambitious.
Right now leadership mandate in many operational areas has expired. Instead of correcting these anomalies through policy bodies like convention, they proceed to make questionable decisions by structures that cannot be recognized and which can be easily challenged in court.
Whilst in government they were doing everything not to get reelected in the next general election. During campaign, the leadership was against the judges who were not on the ballot papers and that was the main message to the voters.
In opposition, they are doing everything to confuse the voters.
2 years before the general elections, they have settled on a candidate who did not want to campaign in the last general elections.
The vice president in the populous south has been dismissed for conducting rallies. Youthful politicians with Promising leadership talent are not allowed to express their ambitions. You cannot expect to push a progressive agenda where ambitions and talent is restricted to a prescribed thought process.
By now, the party should have been in full swing administering leadership primaries for a 2025 candidate. Those who want to stand must be allowed to contest in open campaigns. Internal competition helps motivate the grassroots. It helps to populate headlines in the media with party agenda. It excites people as they rally behind a chosen leader. This enthusiasm and morale is what is galvanized into electioneering and sloganeering. You need a minimum of 2 years to promote a candidate. You also need time to heal the divisions and factions that comes with internal leadership competitions ahead of a general election.
People must be given a choice to choose their next party leader and not to expel anyone who shows leadership interest. This of course is a tragedy of most established political parties in Malawi. They don’t understand the importance that comes with competition within the political party.
When the best and the brightest are allowed to lead a particular party organization society benefits. We must therefore promote internal democracy for the greater good of the country. It will be hard for Malawi to go back to dictatorship because people are no longer the same especially with a fearless independent judiciary. Not in the nearest future I must add.
