NO ONE IS ABOVE THE MCP CONSTITUTION, NOT EVEN CHAKWERA

By Dickson Kashoti

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera must not attempt to rape the party’s constitution in a desperate bid to cling to its presidency indefinitely, as Hastings Kamuzu Banda once did.

His time as party leader is up. He must go and respect the MCP constitution.

It is deeply unfortunate that Dr Chakwera appears determined to pursue a course that could undermine the very constitution he is expected to uphold, seemingly in the hope of returning to power in 2030.

Of all the MCP leaders since the party was founded by counsel Orton Chirwa in the 1950s, Dr Chakwera is perhaps the last person one would have expected to be associated with attempts to cling to the party leadership.

His public pronouncements, political manoeuvres, speeches and even his characteristic smile have often projected the image of a leader who genuinely believes in what he preaches: good governance, democratic values and respect for institutions.

So, what has gone wrong?

Why are some members of the MCP National Executive Committee seemingly prepared to help Dr Chakwera tear apart the party’s constitution in broad daylight, with such apparent arrogance and impunity?

One would have expected the party’s senior leadership to defend its constitution rather than facilitate its potential subversion for the political convenience of one individual.

Mr John Tembo, who was regarded as the MCP strongman after Hastings Kamuzu Banda, must be turning in his grave in Dedza. Perhaps he would be questioning his own judgement in handpicking Dr Chakwera to lead the party.

Ironically, Mr Tembo himself had the political influence and authority to attempt to manipulate the party’s constitution to prolong his leadership indefinitely. Yet he did not do so.

He respected the party’s constitutional order, and that may well be one of the reasons he remains an enduring figure in Malawi’s political history.

Dr Chakwera must understand that he is neither the first intelligent nor the last brilliant and wise leader to emerge from the MCP.

Wanzeru si inu nokha, bwana wa ku MCP!

Wisdom, intelligence and leadership are not the exclusive preserve of one individual. The MCP has other capable people who can lead the party, provided they are given a fair opportunity to do so.

Indeed, Dr Chakwera’s own record as party president raises serious questions about his continued leadership.

Under his watch, the MCP has experienced internal divisions, a decline in its political fortunes and an apparent erosion of its traditional support base, including in the Central Region, which has historically been the party’s stronghold.

The September 16 polls demonstrated that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had made significant inroads into the Central Region, winning seats in an area that was once considered almost politically impenetrable for the DPP and other opposition parties.

How did the mighty MCP allow this to happen?

O Chakwera, mwabweretsa mphepo yoyipa ku Central Region!

The political winds that once favoured the MCP have changed direction, and Dr Chakwera cannot escape responsibility for the party’s declining fortunes.

His leadership style has also left a great deal to be desired. He has often appeared slow to make decisions, including on critical matters requiring urgent intervention to prevent internal disputes from escalating into full-blown political crises.

Consider, for example, the bitter disagreements between MCP Secretary-General Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda and other senior party officials on one side, and Honourable Vitumbiko Mumba and his camp on the other.

The disagreements reportedly centred on the contest for the position of First Vice-President and disputes surrounding the party’s primary elections in Mzimba Central Constituency.

At a time when the party needed decisive leadership, Dr Chakwera remained conspicuously silent.

He appeared to bury his political head in the sand, behaving as though everything was well within the once-mighty MCP, when the party’s senior leadership was being torn apart by internal disagreements.

Rather than intervene decisively and bring the warring factions together, he allowed the situation to fester.

He only brought Honourable Chimwendo Banda, Honourable Mumba and Honourable Catherine Gotani Hara together at Kamuzu Palace when he was ready to unveil Mumba as his running mate.

The announcement reportedly came as a surprise to some of the party’s senior officials.

This sequence of events raises a fundamental question: could the crisis have been contained earlier had Dr Chakwera exercised more decisive leadership?

The controversy surrounding the choice of running mate, coupled with the divisions that had already emerged within the party, may have contributed to the MCP’s eventual electoral defeat.

There were reports that some party officials withdrew from active campaigning in silent protest following Mumba’s appointment. If so, that would have further weakened the party’s campaign at a time when unity and discipline were essential.

The MCP’s loss of government was therefore not simply an electoral misfortune. It also exposed weaknesses in the party’s internal management, decision-making processes and ability to reconcile competing interests within its own ranks.

A political party cannot expect to govern a country effectively when its own leadership struggles to govern the party itself.

Dr Chakwera may have been an accomplished church leader and cleric. However, religious leadership and political leadership demand different skills, particularly when it comes to managing competing interests, making difficult decisions and accepting accountability for failure.

His performance as MCP president must therefore be judged by the political realities confronting the party, rather than by his personal qualities, public image or past achievements.

The MCP is bigger than Dr Chakwera. Its constitution is bigger than any individual. And its future must not be sacrificed on the altar of personal political ambition.

If the party is to rebuild itself, restore its traditional support base and regain the confidence of Malawians, it must embrace internal democracy, respect constitutional limits and allow a new generation of leaders to emerge.

Dr Chakwera must resist the temptation to seek a third term as MCP president. His time is up. He must respect the party constitution, step aside and allow the MCP to turn a new page in its political history.

No political leader, however intelligent, popular or influential, should be allowed to place himself above the constitution of the institution he leads.

The MCP belongs to its members, not to Dr Lazarus Chakwera.

And that is a fundamental principle of democracy that the party must never forget.

Ndiope ndani?