‘Chilima Movement’ gathers momentum in the North

Cracks in the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) continue to widen as the pro-Vice-President Saulos Chilima camp has established parallel structures within the party in the Northern Region.

The national secretariat for the camp dubbed the Chilima Movement, which is pushing for the Veep to lead the party in the 2019 Tripartite Elections, has since started visiting the structures in Mzuzu, Nkhata Bay, Karonga and Chitipa to drum up support for their preferred candidate.

At one of the meetings in Mzuzu yesterday, committees in the city declared their allegiance to Chilima’s candidature.

The meeting was attended by fired DPP deputy regional governor (North) Afiki Mbewe, former Alliance for Democracy (Aford) regional chairperson Peter Mkandawire who joined the movement last week, and officials from the Chilima Movement national secretariat.

In an interview Mbewe, who is coordinator of the movement in the North, said the structures have been formed at regional, district and constituency levels.

“We are well established. We have committees at different levels in the whole region to garner support for Chilima, and there is no turning back. Individuals in these committees are members of DPP, but they support Chilima,” he said.

Mbewe said his camp is not disturbed by threats issued by the DPP politburo that it will bar members of the Chilima Movement from the party convention.

Chilima Movement secretary for women Loyce Mponda said the movement is mobilising women as well as the youth to join it for change in the party.

“We will not relent. We will mobilise ourselves until Chilima heeds our call. We will make it loud and clear that we want Chilima to lead us, and not anyone else. We are tired with this current leadership,” she said.

DPP regional governor (North) Kenneth Sanga said his party is not worried with the new developments, arguing that the Chilima Movement is forming a new party.

“They are completely forming new structures. Those are not genuine members of DPP. Our structures are still intact and they are the ones to attend the convention to endorse [Peter] Mutharika as the party’s torchbearer,” he said.

Sanga warned Mbewe to desist from using the name of DPP, arguing that he was sacked and has no mandate to transact any business in that name.

Earlier this week, some Chilima Movement members visited Mulanje South West and Limbuli constituencies to discuss fundamental principles of the DPP constitution.

The officials, Henry Matemba, the party’s regional organising secretary (South) and Ben Chidyaonga, the party’s national director of logistics said the constituents want Chilima to contest for the presidency at the convention.

DPP has not yet set a date for the convention.

The developments follow a split in the party in which some members want Chilima be the party torchbearer in the 2019 Tripartite Elections while others support the incumbent President Peter Mutharika.