MCP yet to fill NEC vacancies

Newly appointed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president the Reverend Lazarus Chakwera is yet to fill up vacancies in the party’s national executive committee (NEC).

During Chakwera’s maiden rally in Kasungu on Sunday, the party presented to the supporters only the new president and five NEC members whose positions were filled during the convention and regional chairpersons.

The NEC members present at the rally included first vice-president Richard Msowoya, second vice-president MacDonald Lombola, secretary general Chris Daza, his deputy Chatonda Kaunda and treasurer general Tony Kandiero.

In an interview on Monday, Daza said MCP is likely to come up with a full list of its NEC members probably by next week.

Due to inadequate time, the convention resolved that regional committees should nominate names for different positions for possible inclusion into the NEC. The meet also mandated Chakwera to make necessary appointments based on the given names as well as regional balance consideration.

Said Daza: “We have started receiving the names and probably by Wednesday we would have received all the names. We would then have to look at them and then the president will make the appointments. An announcement of the full NEC will probably be made next week.”

He said the current arrangement does not breach the party’s constitution since the convention that made the decision is the main authority in MCP.

“The convention has even powers to amend the constitution and it is the same authority that mandated the president to make the appointments,” added Daza.

Apart from introducing the five elected NEC members, during the rally, the party also welcomed several notable names as new members.

These included former members of Parliament (MPs) Barman Zgambo (Kasungu North-West), one-time first deputy speaker of Parliament Lilliani Kapanda (Kasungu South West) and also Kasungu Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) district governor Filbert Yabwalo.

Other notable faces also present included former Speaker of the National Assembly Louis Chimango and former director of National Intelligence Services Bintony Kutsaila.

During the rally, retired party president John Tembo rejected the offer to a post of honour.

Insiders have indicated that the party’s previous NEC had agreed to make Tembo national chairperson.

But Tembo said: “The regional chairman for the Centre Mr. [Daniel] Mlomo has said that this person [Tembo], although he is retired, should be considered with at least a position. I really thank you for that especially knowing that it is coming from deep down your hearts.

“Even journalists have been asking me what I will be doing in retirement and I told them to wait for this rally. Now I said, I have a wife who will be cooking nsima for me, and I will be reading some books and writing as well as gardening. That is what I will be doing.”

Mlomo, who initially talked about the possibility of offering a position to Tembo soon after the convention, repeated his remarks during the rally saying that this was a concensus of the party.

Tembo said as far as he was concerned the convention in Lilongwe elected only one person as a leader and not two.