A social commentator says former President Peter Mutharika should have resigned as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president in June because he has nothing more to offer to the party.
The commentator, Sunduzwayo Madise who is also a legal expert, was commenting on calls for Mutharika to step down as DPP leader.
Mutharika lost the Malawi presidency in the June 23 Presidential Elections but he is still DPP leader. Since the election loss, there have been wrangles in the party as senior leaders are looking to replace Mutharika who was reelected as DPP leader at a convention in 2018.
Madise said in a Facebook post that Mutharika should have left his role as DPP president following his loss in the 2020 elections.
“APM (Mutharika) should acknowledge he failed to lead his party to a second term and therefore resign. In fact, he should have resigned in June to pave way for the emergence of a new leader. If truth be told, APM has nothing more to offer. The party is bigger than him,” said Madise.
The DPP which was formed in 2005 has had two presidents, Mutharika and his brother late Bingu wa Mutharika.
According to Madise, the party needs to move on from being a ‘Mutharika party’ to a real people’s party.
“A new leader needs to be given latitude to rebrand the party and provide a vision that can rejuvenate the party and arrest the haemorrhage that we are witnessing of its MPs (Members of Parliament) and Councillors abandoning ship,” said Madise.
He added that Malawi needs a strong and united opposition to ensure that the government in power is checked.
He further said that infightings in the party where senior members are also fighting for the role of leader of opposition have demonstrated that divisions have disastrous consequences.
