By Cathy Maulidi:
They lost at the recent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) convention.
These party stalwarts whom delegates rejected include George Chaponda, Chimwemwe Chipungu, Jean Mathanga, Dyton Mussa, Clement Mwale and Charles Mhango.
But the party’s president Peter Mutharika has brought them back close to him as his advisors — and that is causing discomfort in the rank and file of the party, especially among those who delegates elected at the convention.
Among political analysts, Mutharika’s decision to assign his erstwhile closest allies who delegates kicked out of the party’s National Governing Council (NGC) is a spite in their face.
They further say this risks weakening the functioning of the current substantive position holders.
However, DPP has parried away this thinking, arguing there is no point to dramatise this or for anyone to feel insecure as it is solely meant to galvanise the party towards the elections in 2025.
“It’s important to understand that the position of presidential advisor is not a functional one, but rather advisory. This means that these individuals will not have any decision-making power or authority over the elected members,” said the party’s spokesperson Shadrick Namalomba in response to Malawi News’ questions.
Clinging to offices
Among some newly-elected NGC members that sense is insecurity is prevalent.
They claim that those advisors are still clinging to the files of their previous offices.
They further claim that when they try to speak to the president of the party, they are being told to go through the advisors, making these aides more powerful than the elected members.
“I’m yet to get the party files from my predecessor because he has been appointed as advisor on similar position that I won at the convention. Maybe they are still doing the job that delegates didn’t want them to,” said one of the members.
Several other new NGC members who spoke to us on condition of anonymity further alleged that the advisors have too much power.
The discomfort also exists among some delegates to the convention.
One of them, a Member of Parliament, said: “We, as delegates, voted against those individuals because we didn’t want them to have close access to the president again.
“They have been detrimental to the party’s progress, and we removed them for a reason. By bringing them back, the president is essentially telling us that our decisions were wrong. That’s not how you rebuild and strengthen a party.”
No respect for delegates’ voice
A political analyst Chimwemwe Tsitsi said: “It is very unfortunate for Mutharika to have appointed the people who lost at the convention in advisory positions that directly relate to the positions they lost.”
He said the decision puts the convention-elected position holders in an awkward situation.
“Mutharika should respect the wish of the delegates and reposition his preferences and get down to work with those elected.
“Otherwise choosing to work more closely with those who lost at the convention and ignoring those who won is an insult to the delegates and the whole event (convention),” he said.
Tsitsi further said this may be misconceived as lack of democratic mindset in Mutharika.
For Wonderful Mkutche, another commentator, what Mutharika has done is “a toxic exercise of power”.
“These appointments will create tensions and factions within the party. Mutharika was supposed to work with the newly-elected members as this is the will of the delegates who represent the ground structures. The party has already suffered from internal divisions and this may resuscitate this experience,” he said.
With these appointments, he said, Mutharika is sending a message to the delegates that their voice matters less.
“Priority was to be given to those elected and not those appointed. DPP cannot afford another internal fight, especially at a time when they are supposed to be united for next year’s elections,” Mkhutche said.
‘This is a team effort’
In his response to these concerns, Namalomba said the appointment of these members does not in any way water down the delegates’ choices of who should serve them in the party.
He said the appointments ought to be seen in positive light.
“With their wealth of knowledge and experience, they can provide valuable insights and advice that will help the newly elected members to hit the ground running and effectively perform their duties,” he said.
Namalomba further said these advisors will not be competing with the newly-elected members in any way, nor will they usurp their powers.
“On the contrary, their role is to support and enhance the performance of the NGC officers. Think of it as a team effort, where the advisors bring their strengths and expertise to complement the skills of the elected members.
“But let’s not forget the bigger picture here. The appointment of these honorable members as presidential advisors shows that the party values and respects their contributions, despite their loss at the convention. This sense of inclusivity and unity is crucial in keeping the party strong and united, especially in the upcoming 2025 elections. At the end of the day, we are all one big family,” he said.
He added: “So let’s put an end to all the speculations and embrace this decision with open arms. Together, we can achieve great things and show the world that the DPP is a united and formidable force to be reckoned with.”
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