People’s Development Party (PDP) interim president Kondwani Nankhumwa Thursday announced that he has relinquished his position as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament.
Nankhumwa was expelled from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in January this year before he went to court to challenge the expulsion.
The party, in which he had held the Southern Region vice president seat, was also pushing for his removal from the LoP role, but a previous court order which he had obtained blocked the attempt.
During a public address that he made in Blantyre, where he talked about his newly formed PDP, the Mulanje Central Member of Parliament (MPs) said his decision to relinquish the seat followed the formation of the new party.
“I have since informed my legal team to commence proceedings to withdraw all matters related to the Leader of Opposition which are in court,” he said.
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In a covert dig at DPP, Nankhumwa boasted that it is not in his nature to be fired from a position.
“Ine sindimachotsedwa pa mpando koma ndimachoka ndekha (I do not get fired from my positions, but rather I quit of my own volition),” he said.
DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said he needed time to consult with others in the party before commenting on Nankhumwa’s announcement.
On his part, Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye said the august House had not yet received official communication on the matter.
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It is expected that Nankhumwa’s relinquishing of the LoP seat will put to an end a drawn-out battle between him and DPP which some quarters argue has been weakening the opposition.
According Parliament’s rules, a LoP is supposed to come from the largest opposition political party in Parliament. After firing Nankhumwa, DPP settled for Thyolo Thava’s Mary Navicha.
Commenting on the latest development regarding the seat, political analyst Ernest Thindwa said Nankhumwa has made the right decision.
“The party that elected him to the position no longer wants him, so he had to move on. Of course, the matter is in court, so I do not know how the court will interpret it, but from a political point of view, his position was not tenable,” Thindwa said.
At the height of the LoP saga in Parliament, following Nankhumwa’s dismissal from DPP, there were regular chaotic scenes when he rose to speak in the chamber.
MPs from a DPP camp that opposed his holding of the position frequently heckled him, insisting he did not represent the party’s interests.
Nankhumwa was fired from the opposition party alongside several others for calling and attending a national governing council meeting the previous month, apparently without the party’s blessings.
Others include Zomba Chisi MP Mark Botomani, DPP secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey, publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi and former director of women Cecilia Chazama.
On his newly formed party, Nankhumwa said the aim is to revive hope for Malawians amid economic challenges rocking the country.
He said PDP will lean on three cornerstones of food security, unity and hard work.
The lawmaker insisted he has no plans to go into an electoral alliance but indicated that, if approached, the party may consider the offers.
At the event, Nankhumwa unveiled some interim leaders, saying an elective convention will be held in August this year.
