PP suspends Zomba Ntonya MP
Erstwhile governing People’s Party (PP) has suspended Zomba Ntonya member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Makina amid growing concerns over leadership crisis in the party.
His suspension comes barely a month after PP district and constituency committees reportedly requested the party’s politburo to throw him out for allegedly working with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
But while confirming the development yesterday, PP spokesperson Ken Msonda declined to divulge further information, saying he would do so once Makina is summoned before the party’s disciplinary committee.
Msonda said the MP’s suspension was with effect from July 2 2016 and the party reached the decision as one way of bringing sanity.
He said: “With effect from July 2 2016, he [Makina] is no longer a member of the party as well as PP parliamentarian for Zomba Ntonya pending his appearance before the disciplinary committee.
“The issue is to do with his working relationship with party leaders in his constituency as well as the party’s grass roots. The suspension is normal because any party member who works against the rules and principles can be suspended.”
Makina, a former general manager of the defunct government investment arm Malawi Development Corporation (MDC) and served as chief executive officer of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), could not be reached yesterday when contacted.
But reacting to the Zomba PP district and constituency committees last month, Makina maintained his loyalty to the orange camp.
The former ruling party has been rocked in leadership wrangles since its president Joyce Banda left the country soon after losing the presidential race in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections.
Currently led by Salima South legislator Uladi Mussa as interim president, PP has lost several senior members to resignations and dismissals, a move Msonda has described as “political pruning season”.
Some officials have also called for a convention, arguing that would better resolve the problems currently facing the party and give the leadership mandate to strategise ahead of the 2019 elections.
