Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Publicity Secretary Nicholas Dausi says party leader Peter Mutharika should initiate preparations for the DPP convention following a court ruling ordering the party to hold a convention in 90 days.
Speaking to the local media, Dausi said the DPP should comply with the High Court ruling.
“As a law abiding party, DPP will comply with the ruling, our President Professor Peter Mutharika and Secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey must call for Central Committee meeting to discuss how the convention should be conducted,” said Dausi.
However, Shadric Namalomba who was appointed by Mutharika to speak for the party said in a statement yesterday that the DPP has applied for a stay of the ruling pending appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal.
“While the DPP respects orders of the courts, it is also within it’s rights to appeal to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal,” said Namalomba.
Namalomba has since appealed to DPP members to remain calm until the outcome from the Supreme Court is known.
In July this year, DPP National Governing Council (NGC) made a resolution that the elective conference will happen in 2024 instead of this year.
Last week, High court Judge Simeon Mdeza, nullified the NGC decision saying the DPP failed to comply with with a court order made on 5th May 2022.
In the 2022 order, the court ordered DPP to hold dully constituted NGC and Central committee meetings within reasonable time in accordance with the DPP constitution.
Mdeza in his ruling described the failure to hold a convention as a threat to democracy.
“The five years’ mandate of the defendant’s National Governing Council and Central Committee. Surprisingly, the July 2023 NGC meeting was bent on favouring the incumbent party president at the expense of complying with the court order. It was a sham and a threat to intra-party democracy,” reads part of the ruling.
The ruling was made following an application by DPP Vice President for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa who wants to contest for the position of president at the DPP convention.
There are currently divisions in the DPP as some members are pushing for Mutharika retain his position and contest as the party’s candidate in the 2025 presidential elections.
