The governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has said all party positions, including that of party president, would be up for grabs at its elective convention slated for August 2024.
MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka disclosed this during a press briefing in Lilongwe.
The announcement from the MCP comes at a time some top officials of the party have been endorsing incumbent party president Lazarus Chakwera to be the torchbearer in the 2025 general elections.
Mkaka said the MCP believes in constitutional democracy and that the party’s constitution says that all positions must be up for grabs at the indaba.
“But we must also appreciate the fact that the Republican Constitution gives the freedom of speech and choice to any citizen. So, there is nothing wrong for any member of the party endorsing the President, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera. They are simply exercising their right and we are not going to muzzle them. We are not going to prevent them from exercising their right because that is their right.
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“But that is not to say that if there is somebody who feels they can match up with Dr Chakwera, they should not come forward and participate in the presidential race. But, in as far as the MCP members are concerned, they have no problems with the current president Dr Chakwera leading the party again from August 2024,” Mkaka said.
Responding to a question on whether the MCP will go it alone or partner others during the general elections in a bid to secure 50 percent + 1 votes in the presidential race, Mkaka said the party will decide at a later date on how best to approach the 2025 presidential election.
“We are taking the first step that we, as a party, should be prepared for the elections and that’s why we are going to the convention.
“The issue about how we are going to progress regarding the alliance, the party’s top officials will decide depending on the situation at that time. If they would feel that we need to partner others, we will. If they would feel that we may not partner others, then we will not partner and it will be like that,” Mkaka said.
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Commenting on the development, political analyst Ernest Thindwa said the MCP is unequivocally informing the nation and alliance partners that the party will field a presidential candidate in 2025.
Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara is one of the people that have openly supported Chakwera’s candidature.
