Reports that the Peter Mutharika faction intends to stifle plans by any person rallying behind Saulos Chilima for the Presidential candidate post at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) convention are further dividing the party.
There have been reports that the Mutharika faction is taking no chances to do away with those calling for the Vice President Chilima to replace Mutharika.
However, Mutharika has maintained he will contest at the convention. He is being dubbed as ‘too old’ to man the party.
Weeks ago, Northern Region governor for the party is on the record as having blatantly said no one from the Chilima side will be allowed entry to the convention.
This week, Grezeldar Jeffrey, the party’s General Secretary issued a press statement saying she has called for a convention slated to take place on yet to be set date next month.
But one of the people supporting the Chilima course, lawmaker Bon Kalindo, says Jeffrey has no mandate to call for the convention saying her post just like others in the current National Governing Council expired months ago.
According to Kalindo, the announcement of the convention is meant to weaken ‘their movement’.
Jeffrey has since trashed Kalindo’s remarks.
On her part, Mutharika’s out of favour former Minister Patricia Kaliati who is the party’s Director of Women, and also rallying high behind Chilima says the party has always had an unpleasant succession plan.
She mentioned examples of former vice presidents like Joyce Banda and Cassim Chilumpha. Banda was booted by former President Bingu wa Mutharika from the DPP for what the party claimed was her ‘behaviour of forming parallel structures’.
She later founded the People’s Party and she became president at the demise of Mutharika.
Chilumpha came through nearly similar circumstances under Bingu wa Mutharika leadership.
Kaliati has since said people need not to be barred from contesting by taking into account the sides they are supporting.
The wave of divisions have hit the party after Callista Mutharika came out of the public saying the DPP can only win the 2019 elections should they rope in Chilima and not Mutharika whom she says is aged and therefore cannot carry on to rule.
But Mutharika has trashed such calls.
Chilima has however been silent on this matter, but is on the record as having insinuated he will leave the party at a rally last weekend.
Mwalankhulatu chilungamo bwana Innocent. He doesn’t stand any chance.koma poti mzungu anati”better try than do nothing “ndiye tiyeni tiwasiye so that he can be embarrassed on the day
disowning his movement or resigning are the only smart decisions he can make,counting on a miracle to shock the convention expectations is like living in a bubble,the next keen move pple must watch will be the criteria of chosing who is going to the convention as none can force himself in it,obviously there are qualifying factors and they are hilarious like hell,That’s exactly where the NEC has its muscle and Chilima will be an iron man to wrestle that power from the NEC