Malawi : Mutharika Bullish On Party Discipline Ahead of 2025 Polls

By Joseph Dumbula.

Prof Peter Mutharika, President of main opposition party Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took turns to slam some members of the party over what he says is their continued creation of divisions within the party.

He made the remarks recently when the party held a meeting.

According to Mutharika, the party has intentions to take back power in 2025 and that continued attacks within the party have become nuisance.

Particularly, Mutharika directed his frustration at one vocal member Ken Msonda, who recently had slammed Mutharika for lacking what he termed as ‘leadership skills to guide the party’.

But that has not gone well with the former President  who says Msonda and others who seek to cause havoc in the party can decide now to leave and join other parties.

‘’Those with no genuine allegiance to this party can leave. We are working to rebuild ahead of 2025 and negativity is the last thing we wish to be here,’’he said.

Msonda was however quick to issue an apology and hinted he will no longer be involved in such narratives again.

So far, Prof Mutharika has affirmed he will contest at the party’s convention for the post of president.

He will have to face off against Kondwani Nankhumwa, leader of opposition in parliament for who will lead the party in 2025. There have been reports going that some of the opposition and dissent within the DPP are triggered by the Chakwera administration which is facing increasing prospects of defeat in the 2025 polls because of policies that have brought untold hardship to the people.

Recently, Nankhumwa held a briefing where he blatantly said he is ready to face Mutharika at the convention.

At the moment, the party has said it will be announced new dates for the convention after the courts offered a call to extend the dates out of the initially ordered 90 days.

The party initially said the convention would be held this month end.

The DPP lost to Tonse Alliance, an alliance of nine political parties in the historical 2020 fresh presidential polls. Things have not gone with the Alliance. In addition to largely unfulfilled promises, there is acrimony between key members.The economic calamity that have befallen the country under President Chakwera and  rampant corruption are some of the issues that have severely eroded the political capital of President Chakwera. The re-match between him and former President Mutharika is something that his partisans are increasingly growing anxious about.