The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Regional Chairpersons have asked the Party’s General Secretary, Elsehower Mkaka to foster unity and prevent internal strife as they are accusing him of misinterpreting the party constitution.
Four Party’s Regional Chairpersons, Zebron Chilondola of Central Region, Joseph Chavula of North-South, Augustine Chidzanja of Lakeshore, and Peter Simbi of Southern Region said they are against the recent communication from Mkaka’s office regarding the appointment/co-opting of individuals to vacant positions in various committees at the regional level.
Last month, Mkaka said the inclusion of members in regional committees requires prior consultations and sanctions from his officer as one way of maintaining sanity in the party.
However, in a letter addressed to Mkaka that Atlas Malawi has seen, the four Regional Chairpersons said while they understand the paramount importance of the GS’s office and other party structures in upholding the integrity of the Party’s Constitution, they believe that there was a misinterpretation of the Constitution.
They said the Malawi Congress Party does not require prior consultation and sanction from GS’s office before the inclusion of new members into the regional committees and it will need amendment of the Party’s Constitution if the powers are to be poured out to the General Secretary.
“The Regional Committees do this in line with Article 25(6) of the MCP Constitution and long-standing Regional Committee Practices. Accordingly, if there is an intention to exercise additional powers by your office to authorize the inclusion of new members by Regional Committees, we suggest proposing this as an amendment to the party’s Constitution,” reads the letter in part.
The four Chairpersons argue that if co-opting of new members into regional committees requires sanction from the GS’s office, then the elections held at the Party’s convention in 2018 where Mkaka was elected also require review because all the Regional Committees comprised officer bearers who were co-opted into various positions without any sanction from the office of General Secretary.
“We express the apprehension regarding the potential targeting of individuals and caution against injecting personal grievances into the party’s affairs, especially as we approach the MCP convention and as we prepare for the 2025 elections. Our collective endeavors should focus on fortifying the party by enlisting new members rather than being sidetracked by personal vendettas,” adds the letter.
Some MCP Regional Committees had as few as 40 members instead of the mandated 90 members which is implausible for the RCs to adequately prepare for the convention with such a limited number of members as the party’s Constitution outlines procedures for filling the gaps, according to the Chairpersons.
As the party approaches pivotal events like the convention, and the impending elections, the RCs have asked the office of GS in collaboration with the director of Legal Affairs to arrange a meeting of all Regional Committees to deliberate the matters.
Meanwhile, Mkaka is yet to respond to the letter as he said he is yet to receive the letter. He also said that the signatures on the letter have to be verified.
He tells Nation Publication “Even if only four of our six chairpersons have, purportedly signed it, those signatures have to be verified. All in all, I can’t comment on something I have not received.”
The Malawi Congress Party –MCP resolved to hold its elective convention from the 8th to the 10th of August this year following the resolutions that came out during the National Executive Committee Meeting that took place earlier this year.
