The ongoing power struggle within the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) shows no signs of abating. Most recently, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Dausi, openly criticized his own party, labeling the internal situation as disgraceful.
In a matter of days following Dausi’s condemnation, Member of Parliament for Chitipa South, Werani Chilenga, expressed his disappointment with the party’s meeting held on July 3, 2023. Chilenga described the meeting, which took place at Nkopola Lodge, as the most disorganized gathering he had ever attended in his entire life.
Chilenga went on to describe the meeting as a sham, expressing his disbelief that such disarray could occur within a party that claims to uphold democratic principles. These remarks were made during a press briefing in Lilongwe, where a group of disillusioned members from the National Governing Council (NGC) were also present. Among the attendees were Dr. Matthews Ngwale of Chiradzulu West and Baxter Kita, among others.
Chilenga further revealed that NGC members with dissenting opinions were silenced and prevented from expressing their views during the meeting.
“That’s why I am saying this is the worst and strangest meeting I have ever attended in my life. And I would not wish to attend such a meeting in my life again,” vowed Chilenda who is also the Deputy Director of Research and Training in the former governing party.
“In fact, let me emphasize that the NGC meeting in Mangochi was an illegitimate one because some of the people that attended the meeting are not NGC members,” he said.
“We are demanding a constituted NGC meeting,” he added.
The press conference was organized to brief journalists on the resolutions made at the Nkopola Lodge meeting, which they are apparently opposed to.
Chilenga disclosed that majority of the NGC members were ambushed as they were not served with the agenda of the meeting, including the endorsement of party leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as torchbearer in the 2025 presidential elections.
Speaking earlier, Deputy Director of Political Affairs, Baxter Kita, said the NGC meeting had exposed that DPP leaders do not respect their own party’s constitution.
Kita wondered why the party had chosen to contravene its own constitution by extending the terms of office for NGC members.
“We are very disappointed with the way the meeting was conducted. It was a staged meeting to endorse APM. Some members were strategically positioned to endorse APM. Otherwise we have no reasons to prolong our stay in positions. We simply need a legitimate NGC meeting and thereafter an elective conference so that we seek new mandate,” he said.
The concerned NGC members said they expect the Central Committee of the party to arrange another meeting ‘as soon as yesterday’.
