Front PageNational News

Munlo rebuffs Chakwera’s offer

His offer said to be vague: Chakwera
His offer said to be vague: Chakwera

Former Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo declined to serve in Malawi Congress Party (MCP) national executive committee (NEC) because he found the request from party president Lazarus Chakwera to be vague.

Munlo, who competed for the presidency against Chakwera during the MCP convention in August last year was not among the 37 NEC members  chosen last October , leading to speculation on his position and membership in the party.

Speaking through his spokesperson Welford Sabola,  Munlo said the only time he was offered a position in the party was when Chakwera was criticised for leaving out some influential people in NEC.

Said Sabola: “Since the MCP convention took place in August [2013], former Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo made a decision to support the MCP president Dr Lazarus Chakwera. Justice Munlo attended several rallies held by Dr Chakwera but despite showing solidarity for the party he was left out in Chakwera’s first team of members of the executive committee.

“After Dr Chakwera was heavily criticised in the media and by party supporters he phoned Justice Munlo five minutes before announcing additional [NEC] team at the party’s headquarters a number of days after the first team was constituted.”

But Sabola said Munlo declined the offer of serving in NEC because he felt that the request coming at the eleventh hour was rather unclear.

Munlo: I am still MCP
Munlo: I am still MCP

“Despite the fact that Justice Munlo declined the offer he assured Dr Chakwera that he would be available to give support to the party in the event that they need genuine assistance. But since that time, neither Dr Chakwera nor any other member managing the party has come back to Justice Munlo to ask him to play any part in the party,” he said.

Reacting to reports making rounds that Munlo was offered the running mate position or the position of secretary general in MCP, Sabola described such reports as mere speculation.

Sabola conceded that Munlo has not been attending recent party meetings because as an ordinary member, he is never given the calendar of events of the MCP presidency for him to know that the president is holding meetings and that his presence is required.

“Closed as the party is now, Justice Munlo does not know what is happening in the party since he is not in the management team and is not briefed on the goings on in the party,” he said.

MCP deputy publicity secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma said it is unfortunate that Munlo declined a NEC position because the party needs the contribution of people like him to move forward.

“If Justice Munlo has conceded that he declined Dr Chakwera’s offer then as a party we want to know which other way we can approach him for him to make contributions to the party. Justice Munlo might be the only person who was contacted before being appointed because most of us were drafted into the NEC even without being notified in advance,” said Ching’oma.

On reports that Munlo declined to be the running mate to Chakwera, Ching’oma said he could not comment on speculations.

Related Articles

9 Comments

  1. Munlo has nothing to offer to MCP. His silence if not failure to guide Malawians on the transition of powers after Bingu’s death clearly shows that Munlo is not a good leader. He was bent to have Peter take over from his brother because that could have meant the lhomwes still in control. This explains why he cannot work with Chakwera. He wants to be the president himself or support a president that is from his region (lhomwe). MCP shudnt worry of him because he lost at the convention and thus a loser/failure

  2. If Dr Chakwera dont trade well on appointing his running mate mcp will be history 20th May. Munlo deserve to be his runningmate, ndiye ukatero kumwera maka ku lomwe belt mutha kuzapeza ma voti,koma ukakula mtima kaya zako

  3. Southern Region is not only the lomwe belt, there are other parts of the region that are also valuable. It’s a waste of time to pick a running mate from the lomwe belt, it makes sense to pick one from the Lower Shire or the Northern region.

  4. Kodi Munloyo akufuna achite kunyengeleredwa? Is he the only guy in Malawi who can be Chakwera’s running mate? Chakwera, chose John Zenus Ungapake Tembo as your walking mate but me as your running Mate!

  5. Justice Lovemore Munlo should just enjoy retirement to avoid being labelled another Nkholokolo. We respect him though he failed to defend section 65 in order to protect defectors to DPP. Justice Unyolo ruled that Section 65 was valid in 2007. Under Munlo we saw the matter which is a supreme court ruling being challenged in a lower high court under Munlo. Don’t confuse the momentum in MCP.

  6. Chakwera will be making a very big mistake if he picks Munlo as a running mate. This is the same person who forgot his chief justice gown at home and yet he knew very well he would be presiding over the swearing in ceremony of Joyce Banda as president. Munlo has no morals and am not surprised with the comments he has made thru this paper. If he was told he would be in the NEC how could that appointment be vague? Does it means that he does not know what the NEC of a political party does?

    If Mr Munlo thinks that MCP would give him a position in the part just because he is from the south or retired chief justice or just becoz he contested for the presidency at the convention then that’s a big misjudgement on his part.
    By the way can someone tell me if he has ever seen Mr Munlo conducting a political rally somewhere in the country let alone in his own village?
    How can you give a position to someone who can not dare to venture out of his house to sell the policies of his own party to the masses out there?

  7. Chakwera shld coax Mia or someone frm eastern region. Munlo seems to b an implant of DPP and its becoming clearer by each comng day. How can a normal person wait for th party for him to stand for MP? I thought u take part in primaries etc? He is a confused man.

Back to top button