Politician Henry Mussa has refused to take up the role of deputy spokesperson in the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Mussa has announced his decision in a letter to DPP leaders including the party’s president Peter Mutharika and acting secretary general Chimwemwe Chipungu.
Last week, the party fired spokesperson Nicholasi Dausi and replaced him with Brown Mpinganjira as spokesperson while Mussa was appointed deputy spokesperson.
In his letter dated August 29, Mussa thanked Mutharika and the DPP central committee for entrusting him with the position but said he will not take up the role.
“I have struggled a lot to reach this decision but I have ultimately resolved that given the circumstances and in conformity with both my personal and political principles, recusing myself from taking up the said position remains the best option for me and the part,” reads part of Mussa’s letter.
He added that Dausi was elected party spokesperson at the DPP convention last year but the Central Executive Committee meeting has resolved to appoint a new holder of the position without Dausi announcing that he has resigned or the party announcing that it has suspended or fired him for breach of party code of conduct as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
“I therefore developed this apprehension that in taking up the position I might be risking complicity in breaching the DPP constitution, something I would strongly refrain from doing on principle, having been party to formation of DPP and therefore obliged to be exemplary in upholding and protecting the party’s constitution unconditionally,” said Mussa.
According to Mussa, it would be awkward for him to take up the role without creating conspiracy theories that he was involved in the unlawful removal of Dausi from his position.
Mussa also expressed concern that he was appointed to deputise Mpinganjira in a role which he believes Mpinganjira would be able to handle on his own.
