National News

Makwangwala, Patel clash

A bitter exchange of words characterised a UDF news conference on Monday called by Lillian Patel, chairperson of main organising committee of the national conference taking place today (Tuesday) in Malawi’s commercial hub, Blantyre.

Patel and deputy publicity secretary Ken Ndanga had called for a news briefing to refute remarks made by secretary general Kennedy Makwangwala which warned delegates to the national conference against electing newcomers.

Makwangwala wondered why Patel and Ndanga called for the briefing when he, as secretary general and one who made the comments, was not consulted.

He then stormed out of the press briefing room at UDF headquarters in Limbe.

But in an interview later, Makwangwala defended his remarks, saying he was reminding delegates to the convention of the mistake made in 2003 when new faces swept aside the old guard.

“It is up to the delegates to make a decision on who should occupy which seat, but I thought I should also remind them of the mistakes made in the past,” he said.

The then new faces include late Bingu wa Mutharika who later ditched the party to form the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005 after winning the 2004 presidential election.

Patel and Ndanga, on the other hand, told journalists that Makwangwala’s remarks were not endorsed by the party.

“Nobody has the powers to block somebody from joining and/or contesting for positions. The constitution of UDF is very clear. It does not say for how long one should be in the party to contest for a position, except for the position of national chairperson; one is required to have served in the party for at least five years,” said Patel.

Ndanga said the UDF national conference is meant to give a proper meaning of internal democracy in the party and described Makwangwala’s remarks as a contradiction of the party’s open door policy.

Meanwhile, a political analyst, Joseph Chunga, has said divisions that characterised UDF can best be solved by the national conference.

He has also questioned the party’s position to change age at which one can qualify as a national chairperson, arguing somebody in the leadership system is fixing a situation for somebody to easily walk into the office.

The party recently amended a clause that said for a person to qualify as national chairperson they should at least be 35 years of age.

 

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