By Eric Chiputula:
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Eastern Region Vice President Bright Msaka has finally come out in the open declaring his interest to lead the troubled party in the 2025 presidential race, challenging current leader Peter Mutharika.
Soon after news of Msaka throwing his hat into the DPP leadership race broke, DPP issued a statement that all the aspirants to the position should not declare themselves now but wait for the 2023 party convention.
Msaka’s coming out in the open during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Friday comes just hours after former Mutharika refuted allegations that his wife Getrude has endorsed him and is also seen as a direct defiance to the position of the DPP as a party.
During the press briefing, Msaka said he is the rightful candidate to govern the party having led a strong foundation for the party in the Eastern Region where he is the Vice President.
“My fellow Malawians I bring to you experience in both government administration as well as party administration having served as Secretary to President and Cabinet before as well as a cabinet minister and party vice president for the Eastern Region for over three years,” said Msaka.
Lately, the former ruling party has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons as senior party members have been jostling and wrestling with the party’s secretariat over their intentions to stand for the party presidency arguing Mutharika is no longer fit to govern again.
Some quarters have, however, been gunning for a Mutharika come back although the former state president will be hitting 85 in 2025.
It is clear that Msaka’s declaration will spark a new wave of divisions within the former ruling party as already the party is divided with one faction loyal to Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa who is party Vice President for the South while the other faction is loyal to Mutharika.
Already some of Msaka’s committee members in the Eastern Region did not attend the press conference for fear of being seen as endorsing him.
