Exactly 28 days after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) National Governing Council (NGC) members from hitherto warring sides met at the party’s NGC meeting in Mangochi District, cracks have started to re-emerge in the party.
In the latest case, the office of the party’s National Disciplinary Committee has summoned DPP vice president for the Southern Region-cum-Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa for allegedly undermining leader of the party, Peter Mutharika.
In ‘Summons to a Disciplinary Hearing Before The National Disciplinary Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party’, Secretary to The National Disciplinary Committee Jean Mathanga indicates that the hearing is related to recent whistle-stop tours that Nankhumwa has been conducting.
“The Disciplinary Committee has received a complaint from the Deputy Secretary General regarding your conduct in contravention of the Constitution of the Democratic Progressive Party. You are hereby given notice of a disciplinary hearing against you to be conducted by the Disciplinary Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party at the Dream Village in Area 43 in Lilongwe, on Wednesday, the 2nd day of August 2023, at 09:00 hours in the forenoon, to answer the following charge against you:
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“Charge: Undermining the authority of the President, contrary to Article 6 (vii) and (ix) of the DPP Constitution. Particulars: Between 15th and 25th July 2023, you conducted whistle-stop tours in the Southern Region without seeking approval from the President to conduct such whistle stops (sic) and you thereby undermined the authority of the President of the party and displayed disrespect to the leadership of the party.
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“For the above reasons, the Disciplinary Committee would like to hear your side of the story on the above issues under Article 15 (3) of the DPP Constitution before the committee can make recommendations on the above issues to the Central Committee under Article 15 (4) of the DPP Constitution,” the communication, dated July 25 2023, reads.
The erstwhile governing party further indicates that failure to attend the hearing could culminate in one of three outcomes, namely censure, suspension or expulsion from the party.
“Take notice that if you fail to attend the disciplinary hearing without any justifiable reasons, the committee has the power to make recommendations to the Central Committee for necessary sanctions including expulsion, suspension or censure. Take further notice that if you mobilise your supporters to accompany you to the disciplinary hearing, the committee has the power to make recommendations to the Central Committee for necessary sanctions including expulsion, suspension or censure.
“Take further notice that if you or any of your supporters do anything to disrupt the disciplinary hearing, the committee has the power to make recommendations to the Central Committee for necessary sanctions including expulsion, suspension or censure. I remain yours sincerely, Hon Jean Mathanga, Secretary to The National Disciplinary Committee,” the summons reads.
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When contacted for a comment, Mathanga could neither confirm nor deny authoring the letter.
Chaponda
She, however, referred us to legislator George Chaponda, who she said is the Disciplinary Committee Chairperson.
“I can neither confirm nor deny [the existence of] the letter as I am not mandated to speak with the media. You can contact the chairperson for further comments,” Mathanga said.
On his part, Chaponda said he did not know anything about the letter.
When The Daily Times contacted Nankhumwa, he said he could confirm that he was in possession of the letter.
“I received the summons via WhatsApp,” Nankhumwa said.
The development comes exactly 28 days after NGC members, including Mutharika and Nankhumwa, attended a meeting in Mangochi, where party leaders interacted freely with each other.
At the meeting, NGC members endorsed Mutharika for the party’s presidency, pending the nod of delegates at a National Elective Convention.
Commenting on his endorsement by the NGC, Mutharika, who chaired the meeting, said this is an indication that people within the party are satisfied with how he ruled in the six years he was President of Malawi.
Mutharika said he would make his decision on the matter known once he finishes consulting his closest allies.
“I am really flattered by the NGC and all other people who want me to bounce back. This is a democratic party and we will make proper announcement at a proper time. I am happy that all our differences have now been buried,” Mutharika said.
The NGC also moved the day for the party’s convention from July this year to next year.
The change, according to Mutharika, has been made to allow the party to adopt some of the constitutional changes that were made at the NGC meeting.
Among other things, the NGC adopted recommendations made by the High Court for the DPP to have a disciplinary committee to solve party disputes that have inundated the courts.
“The Disciplinary Committee will be chaired by George Chaponda and we have balanced it, in terms of gender and youth representation. This means issues will be addressed within the party without involving the courts,” he said.
Mutharika said the party would, in December this year, hold a high-level political conference involving around 2,000 delegates to review and adopt constitutional changes that have been made regarding the number of delegates to the convention.
He said after the December extraordinary conference, the National Executive Committee of the party would be mandated to set a specific date for the elective conference within the month of July 2025.
Among other changes, DPP said the office-holder of the position of secretary general of the party would no longer be elected at a convention but, rather, be appointed by the party president.
The party also recommended that people contesting for positions in the NGC must be only those that have been in the party for not less than three years while those contesting for any other position at district, constituency or area level must be members of the party for not less than a month.
