MCP National Executive Committee disregards protest letter
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) National Executive Committee (Nec) meeting which took place on Sunday disregarded a letter suspended vice president, Richard Msowoya, and four others wrote to party president Lazarus Chakwera about two weeks ago.
In the letter, Msowoya, suspended secretary general Gustave Kaliwo, first deputy secretary general James Chatonda Kaunda, and director of international relations Tony Kandiero, asked for consultations in order to deal with the problems rocking the party.
At a press conference held at the party’s headquarters in Lilongwe yesterday, the party’s senior members, led by publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma, revealed that the Nec members disregarded issues that were raised in the letter.
Director of public relations, Alekeni Menyani, who was one of the people briefing the media about the resolutions of the Nec meeting, said all members agreed “not to take the letter seriously”.
“The leaked letter reached Nec. We took our constitution and looked at some of the words used. We discarded it because some of the words used are not in the party constitution,” Menyani said.
At the press conference, the party’s senior members, also confirmed the suspension of Msowoya, Kaliwo, Kaunda and Kandiero from their positions.
They also said Salima North West Member of Parliament, Jessie Kabwila, had been suspended from the party.
It was, however, announced that second deputy president, Macdonald Lombola, who was one of the signatories, was cleared after he distanced himself from the letter.
Also present at the press conference were director of women Margaret Kulaisi, and deputy national organising secretary Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda.
Ching’oma said the suspended people have already received letters notifying them of the disciplinary action.
“We have written them. We cannot reveal the grounds because the issues are confidential in nature. These are internal matters. We will deal with the issue immediately,” Ching’oma said.
He revealed that 52 out of 64 Nec members attended the meeting. He said five people had sent apologies.
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