Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has confirmed that it will hold its elective conference before December 28 in compliance with the order which the court made two months ago.
On September 29, the High Court in Lilongwe ordered the party to hold its convention within 90 days.
In between, the party has gone through tumultuous days due to infighting.
Last week, a faction led by the likes of Grezelder Jeffrey and Kondwani Nankhumwa held what they said was a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting of the party at which they decided on December 15 as the date of the party’s convention.
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However, some private lawyers such as John Gift Mwakhwawa and Khumbo Soko told The Nation newspaper that Jeffrey’s NGC flouted party procedures and its resolution would be null and void.
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They further argued that the fact that the court had ruled for the party to hold a convention within 90 days did not mean that procedures governing operations of the party should be flouted.
On Friday, the party’s president Peter Mutharika called for the meeting of the central executive committee of the party.
The meeting took place at his residence in Mangochi yesterday.
Speaking after the meeting, the party’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said the committee set December 13 as the day the party will hold its NGC meeting where the date for the convention will be agreed.
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“The NGC is going to decide on the delegates, date and venue for the convention,” said Namalomba.
During the same meeting, the committee confirmed the appointment of Clement Mwale as the new Secretary General for the party replacing Jeffrey who is now Vice President for Central Region.
Mutharika made the changes on Thursday.
According to the party’s constitution, members of the central executive committee shall consist of the President, the vice presidents, Secretary General, Treasurer General, National Director of Women and National Director of Youth of the party.
This means that both Nankhumwa, Jeffrey and the party’s National Director of Women, Cecilia Chazama, who chaired last week’s ‘NGC’ meeting in Lilongwe were supposed to attend.
But they did not, although the party extended invitation to them, according to Namalomba.
“We invited them but they did not attend so the other members proceeded with the meeting because they formed a quorum.
“What it means now is that the decisions made by this meeting are binding and final,” Namalomba said.
In a brief interview yesterday, Jeffrey denied to have been notified that she is now the party’s Vice President for the Central region.
“I am still the Secretary General of the DPP because I was elected at the convention,” she said.
