MCP MPs defend Chakwera

Jan 16, 2018 Politics 69
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Malawi24
Lazarus Chakwera.

…Demand suspension of Kaliwo…

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have trashed claims made by five top officials of the party that MCP leader Dr Lazarus Chakwera is abusing his office.

During a meeting today in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, the MPs condemned in the strongest terms the letter written by Deputy President Richard Msowoya, Second Deputy President McDonald Lombola, Secretary General Gustave Kaliwo, Vice Secretary General James Chatonda Kaunda and Treasure Tony Kandiero accusing Chakwera of contravening the MCP constitution by creating a management committee whose directors are not recognised by the constitution.

Lazarus Chakwera.
Chakwera defended

According to the MPs, the five top MCP gurus should have taken the initiative to solve the problem.

“The Malawi Congress Party constitution does not have a politburo in its hierarchy. The president never said anything about politburo in his press statement. The 5 people are the one breaking the constitution by creating a structure called politburo,” said the MPs.

“At no point did Dr. Lazarus Chakwera mention anything about dissolving the incumbent NEC. That power only rests in NEC meeting. The consultative meeting before December 1, 2017, has no legal mandate in our party structure unless ratified by NEC. And further to that, the president in his media interview, categorically made it clear that it was in the powers of Management and NEC to look into the communiqué of the consultative meeting,” they added.

The MPs have since agreed that Kaliwo should be suspended from the party.

They say Kaliwo absented himself with no reasons from more than three consecutive NEC meetings contrary to the MCP constitution and has over the years shown gross incompetence by failing to give policy direction to the party.

“He has absented himself from major party functions for two years, including the whole period of the bi-elections held in October 2017 without giving any reason,” the MPs said.

The MPs have also accused Kaliwo of failing to attend a management meeting which he himself called without communicating to any member about the postponement of the said meeting and of going against four cornerstones of the MCP by convening parallel meetings.