89 fight for DPP positions, APM unopposed
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) elective national convention gets underway at Comesa Hall in Blantyre this morning with 89 contenders fighting for various national governing council (NGC) positions.
At least 1 500 delegates are expected to endorse President Peter Mutharika as the party’s torch-bearer for the 2019 Tripartite Elections as no one has challenged him to the position.
However, the intensely contested NGC positions are those of vice-presidents for Southern and Central regions, which have four candidates each.
The Southern Region is expected to be highly contested with three senior Cabinet ministers, all of whom are DPP legislators, challenging the incumbent George Chaponda.
They are Kondwani Nankhumwa (Local Government and Rural Development), Henry Mussa (Trade, Industry and Tourism) and Joseph Mwanamvekha (Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development).
In the Central Region, the incumbent Hetherwick Ntaba faces Uladi Mussa, former DPP regional governor for the region, Dean Josaya Banda and the party’s deputy spokesperson Zelia Chakale, who is the only woman contesting for the position.
Goodall Gondwe, who is Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, is set to reclaim his position of vice-president (North) like Bright Msaka, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, in Eastern Region. The two will go unopposed.
Also going unopposed is Jappie Mhango, Minister of Transport and Public Works, for the position of treasurer general.
The position of secretary general has a two-horse race with Clement Mwale, the party’s former administrative secretary, facing off the incumbent Grezelder Jeffrey.
On the position of publicity secretary, Francis Kasaila is facing the convention’s organising committee chairperson Nicholas Dausi and former People’s Party (PP) spokesperson Ken Msonda.
Delegates started arriving in Blantyre as early as 8am yesterday and proceeded to Kamuzu Stadium for accreditation.
The atmosphere in the commercial city has been calm with huge presence of both civilian and uniformed police officers and other security personnel at the stadium and the venue.
At the stadium, nearly all contestants for the top positions were seen interacting with the delegates before and after the accreditation process.
At some point, there was unprecedented hype as one of the candidates, Nankhumwa, was leaving the place escorted by scores of bodyguards and well-wishers.
At Comesa Hall, the mood was equally electric with top class decorations of DPP’s blue and white cloths covering almost every space with flash lights hanging from the ceiling.
Both the entrance and the podium in the hall have been decorated with fresh maize and granaries filled with dry maize, the party’s symbol.
A considerable number of security personnel have been guarding the venue.
Dausi told journalists that 1 558 delegates, being accommodated in various schools, are expected to attend the three-day convention whose budget is K90 million.
Mutharika is scheduled to officially open the convention just after 10 am. n
