Mpasu rejects Jumbe’s dissolution of NLP

New Labour Party (NLP) executive members have rejected former party president Friday Jumbe’s declaration that the party has been dissolved.

However, Jumbe said ‘interim’ president Sam Mpasu and others are free to continue running the party if they feel so.

On September 9 2014, Jumbe announced through a news conference that NLP has been dissolved following a decision by the executive committee which convened earlier in the day.

But Mpasu, Joseph Kubwalo, Alex Solanke  and three others yesterday disputed Jumbe’s declaration.

“The NEC [national executive committee] condemned and rejected the public announcement made by the party’s president Hon Friday Jumbe on Tuesday, 9th September 2014 in which he purported to have dissolved the New Labour Party.

“The NEC wishes to assure all stakeholders in the national politics of Malawi, namely the Judiciary, the Malawi National Assembly, the Centre for Multiparty Democracy, the press, the donor community and all Malawians in general that the New Labour Party is still in existence and has not been dissolved,” read in part a statement read at the news conference.

Mpasu accused Jumbe of dissolving the party without consultation. He said during the meeting, only five NEC members were present three of which rejected the idea.

The party says Jumbe has constructively resigned from the party because he cannot serve it when he wanted it dissolved and has since appointed Mpasu as president, Kubwalo as vice-president and Solanke as secretary general in interim capacities.