The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) risks leadership vacuum if it fails to hold a convention by July 2, this year, according to Publicity Secretary Nicholas Dausi.
Dausi, who joined other DPP legislators told journalists in Lilongwe that according to the party constitution, all elective positions will fall vacant on July 2, when their term ends.
“The best we can do is to hold a convention before July 2, otherwise, we will all be mere members,” said Dausi
He further called on the party leadership to give each and every aspiring candidate a chance to campaign freely without intimidation.
Since it was ousted from power, there have been leadership struggle within the party.
There have been infighting between those who support the current President Peter Mutharika and the other team of vice-president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa.
The party expelled Nankhumwa’s team, which later found solace from the High Court which ordered that DPP central committee lacked mandate to expel them and that the party’s disciplinary committee was irregularly constituted.
Last year, the High Court of Malawi dismissed a plea by Nankhumwa and three others for the party to hold an early elective convention.
DPP in 2020 expelled Nankhumwa, secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey, treasurer general Jappie Mhango and Mulanje West legislator Yusuf Nthenda for allegedly influencing the rejection of party president Peter Mutharika’s appointment of former Nsanje Central legislator Francis Kasaila as Leader of Opposition in Parliament to replace Nankhumwa.
The four obtained an injunction on October, 3 2020 against their expulsion. Later the two sides agreed to settle their differences through a mediation process.
