By Lifu Litete – Malawi Exclusive
A renowned political commentator has predicted doom for the opposition Democratic Progressive party (DPP) following the growing infighting and bickering that has rocked the former ruling party.
Of late the DPP has been embroiled in leadership squabbles which have seen some senior members dragging the party to court.
In a latest episode of the growing infighting, on Sunday the party led by President Peter Mutharika called for a meeting where Kondwani Nakhumwa was dethroned as Leader of Opposition and was replaced by George Chaponda following a vote which later Nankhumwa challenged through the court by obtaining an injunction.
However, the drama took a new twist on Wednesday morning when two members of Parliament Symon Vuwa Kaunda and Julius Mwale both turned up for the same meeting (Business Committee meeting) each claiming to be the party’s chief whip in parliament and it had to take the intervention of Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara to send Vuwa Kaunda out of the meeting after seeking legal opinion from Attorney General Thabo Chhakaka Nyirenda.
Commenting on the recent developments, a renowned Political commentator George Phiri has described what is happening in DPP as a sign of lack of leadership.
“DPP is finished. The President has finished the party. The President has failed to bring together two warring factions within the party. This is a clear demonstration of lack of leadership as the president has shown that he is not willing to preach peace within the party. He doesn’t care. In brief he is selfish,” said Phiri.
The commentator feels that with what is happening within the party and with its current leadership it will be difficult for DPP to mount a serious challenge to the current administration during the 2025 elections.
DPP President Peter Mutharika is no stranger to lack of conflict management skills as during his late brother’s Bingu Wa Mutharika reign when he was Minster of Education he failed to resolve a conflict that involved academic staff from the University of Malawi and the then Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhitho. The stand-off was after one lecturer was summoned by the police to explain an example he used in one of the lectures in which it was insinuated that the example used undermined the president’s authority.
That stand-off saw public Universities closed for over a year as lecturers protested demanding academic freedom.