Michael Usi trashes UTM indaba

By Deogratias Mmana:

UTM president Michael Usi has trashed the party’s forthcoming elective convention this Sunday, describing it as illegal.

He has since refused to submit nomination papers for the position of president.

In an exclusive interview, Usi cited a number of sections of the party’s constitution that have reportedly been flouted.

He said, as such, participating in the convention would be akin to endorsing illegality.

“I am Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. If I participate in that convention, how will I stand in the public eye? Will the public have confidence in me in my role as Vice President?

“I have done my part in cautioning them. I do not want to be among those that break the party’s constitution. I do not want to be party to unnecessary fights,” Usi said.

Usi’s litany of constitutional concerns is contained in a letter dated October 28 2024 addressed to party secretary general Patricia Kaliati.

Copies were also sent to the treasurer general, national organising secretary and national publicity secretary.

He argues that the party has violated Section 20 (1 to 8) by engaging a team to run the convention without giving it the terms of reference, letters of engagement and without having appeared before the national executive committee.

He argues that the team was handpicked by the secretary general instead of being appointed by Nec.

“All what has happened, so far, is in violation of this provision,” the letter reads.

According to Usi, the fundraising committee that was established by the central committee usurped the powers of a committee that Nec would have appointed to manage the conduct of the national delegates conference.

He argues that the committee decided on nomination fees and deadline for receiving nomination fees despite having no such mandate.

Further, the committee is also faulted for depositing all the money collected by the party into an account that does not belong to the party, claiming that this contravenes Article 8 (7(d), which says Nec shall manage and control all the money and property of UTM.

Usi further accuses the party of including a list of national delegates cadres who are not sanctioned by the constitution to be members of the national delegates conference.

“All members of the national delegates are guided by the constitution under Article 7 (2)(a to f)),” the letter reads.

Lastly, the party is faulted for holding meetings as Nec or central committee that are not convened and chaired by the president, claiming that this is in violation of Article 13 (2) (a to f) “and has the potential of nullifying all the resolutions that are passed at such unconditionally convened meetings”.

“I am therefore directing you to ensure that these violations of the constitution be addressed as soon as possible so that the convention is conducted in compliance with the party constitution to avoid legal challenges that may ensure,” the letter says.

“Meanwhile, let it be put on record that as President of UTM I am not party to these unfortunate and unconstitutional developments and therefore do not recognise any of the actions/activities being pursued in preparation so for the convention,” Usi adds.

According to Usi, he had not received any communication from the party that the issues he had raised were resolved as of Saturday, before he left for the United Nations Climate Conference on Saturday.

We have also established that the central committee formed a parallel email forum where it excluded the party president.

Usi confirmed the development.

UTM director of elections Happy Khondowe said Monday that the convention risked facing legal challenges and nullification because it had flouted the party’s constitution.

He said he would not participate in that “illegal” convention.

He said contrary to article 7(2) of the party constitution, which spells out national delegates to the convention as follows: Nec, the governor, secretary, treasurer for each region, constituency governor, two committee members of each region at the executive committee, women’s wing, youth wing, member of Parliament and mayor or deputy, the party had handpicked about 300 delegates and replaced them with those constitutionally mandated delegates.

Khondowe also said all the delegates that were going to the convention were not legal because before the national conference, there should be regional, district and constituency elective conferences where those elected go to the national indaba as delegates.

He also said before a national conference, the secretary general has to inform Nec about any constitutional amendment matters two months before the election and that the secretary general has to give delegates provisions for amendment one month before the constitution but he said that has not been done.

“All those issues have not been done. Last time we had a Nec meeting, the secretary general did not give any notice. These people want to do things through shortcuts.

“I cannot associate myself with that kind of leadership. I will remain just a member but, even so, my membership depends on how far it can go with that issue,” Khondowe said.

According to communication that we have seen, UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati engaged Masankho Banda, senior consultant for Creative Events Consulting and Events, to chair the upcoming UTM convention. However, the consultant wrote Kaliati on August 13 2024, asking for a formal request and a meeting where clear terms of reference should be made and where sticky issues should be resolved.

“Dear Honourable Kaliati, Please send us a formal letter of invitation to create a team to organise the convention. Please, convene a meeting between us and the UTM Nec to iron out our mandate and agree on terms of operation. At this meeting, we can brief the Nec on the convention four years ago, agree on a draft budget and other pertinent details,” the communication reads.

The communication comes from Masankho Banda.

UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala refused to be drawn to comment on the issue, saying Usi was better placed to speak on the matters.

He said he did not want to be in conflict with his party president.

“There are no conflicts in the party. We don’t want to portray in the media as if there is a conflict,” Njawala said.

Asked if the party would continue with the convention, he said the party president gave a go-ahead

Meanwhile, political analyst George Chaima has said Malawians have to be told the truth about what is going on in the UTM.

“Malawians need to be told the truth by UTM cadres. A few days ago, the UTM presser told the nation that the party leadership met to discuss the [issue of] convention and that all bottlenecks were fixed.

“Today it is a different story from the UTM president,” Chaima said.