By Christopher Jimu:
With the succession battle in the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) reaching fever pitch, political analyst Humphrey Mvula has warned the party to tread carefully on former President Professor Peter Mutharika’s successor, saying the move can either make or break the party.
The DPP so far has five candidates who have expressed interest to take over from Mutharika and battle lines have been drawn.
Ironically all the five come from the southern region an area which is regarded as the bedrock of the party.
The five are Kondwani Nankhumwa, Bright Msaka, George Chaponda, Joseph Mwanamvekha and Dalitso Kabambe.
According to Mvula the fact that DPP has five candidates vying for the presidency shows that democracy is flourishing in the party but warned that if one of the candidates ditches the party to join the Malawi Congress Party then it is game over.
“It is good that the DPP has many candidates but if for example one of Nankhumwa, Msaka or Chaponda is frustrated and end up joining the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) then the DPP will be weakened considerably. In Chakwera, the MCP has a very good torchbearer without excess baggage and if the party (MCP) can convince one of the strong Presidential candidates from the DPP to join, then advantage MCP,” predicted Mvula.
Mvula added that if the MCP can make more inroads in the southern region then it will not have much work in the north because it already enjoys support from the area if current politicak trends are anything to go by.
“If MCP can penetrate the Lomwe belt then I do not see the party failing to convince people in Nsanje, Chikwawa, Nkhota Kota, Salima, Machinga and Mangochi to vote for it. The party has many supporters in the centre and what is remaining is consolidation,” explained Mvula.
Mvula however urged the DPP to put its house in order and end the current squabbles rocking the party.
He claims that a strong DPP can offer strong opposition to the Tonse Alliance administration unlike what is happening now because the party is divided.
“A strong and united DPP is good for democracy while a divided one is also detrimental to the current democratic dispensation. The MCP has already started playing a tactical political game by invading the DPP stronghold and coaxing people like Brown Mpinganjira to join its rank and file and this will only help them garner more support in the southern region,” Mvula said.
Asked to name a candidate whom he thinks would give the MCP a run for their money during the forthcoming elections, Mvula said Nankhumwa comes first followed by Msaka and Mwanamvekha and then Chaponda and Kabambe.
Mvula said Kabambe could be a very good candidate for the party but what disadvantages him is the fact that he has not been in the political limelight for so long.
MCP Regional governor for the centre Zebron Chilondola could not be reached fdor comment but he recently told a rally that people like Brown Mpinganjira will strengthen the party because of their experience.
He dismissed assertions that the party is roping in recycled politicians who are spent forces.
“If people are claiming that we are roping in spent forces thn many of us are also spent forces because this is a new Malawi Congress Party,” said Chilondola.
