Court grants DPP members injunction

Two senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members have obtained an injunction gagging the recent appointment of new persons into the party’s national governing council.

The two, DPP deputy director of operations Joe Thomas Nyirongo and Kenneth Msonda are protesting the recent appointment of 30 persons into the party’s governing council.

The two argue in court that the appointment is illegal and only meant to fulfil the wishes of party leader Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) who is against his challengers.

The court order reads in part: “The defendant is hereby restrained either by itself, its servants, agents and/or otherwise from making further appointments to any position of the Party until a meeting of the National Governing Council and/ or National Political Conference is convened.

“Restrained are either by itself, its servants, agents and/ or otherwise from implementing and/or recognising all those that were unlawfully appointed after the 2nd Day of October when the party unlawfully expelled some members of the Central Committee from the party.”

In an interview yesterday, Nyirongo said the recent appointments were all illegal, and only meant to suffocate duly elected persons.

“Mutharika has appointed people into the governing council just to suit his ambitions, and we cannot just sit and watch. We were dully appointed at the convention and that has to be respected. We will not allow that to happen.

“All these people handpicked now must not have any seat in the NGC,” he said.

Last week, DPP vice-president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa claimed that the appointment of the 30 persons will ensure that APM is surrounded by loyalists who can vote for him for a third term as leader of the party.

Blantyre City South legislator Noel Lipipa took to social on Monday, saying the DPP constitution is being raped by making such appointments.

DPP spokesperson Shadrick Namalomba said they were yet to be served with the injunction, but said the new appointments were all lawful.