The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has stopped its members from endorsing leaders ahead of the party’s elective convention scheduled for July 2023.

The party’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba confirmed in an interview on Wednesday that it is not right for members to preoccupy themselves with leadership endorsements instead of the party’s constitutional review underway.

Namalomba: This is not time to endorse leaders

Rival factions have been repositioning themselves for the party’s presidency which some political experts claim has created tension among members and weakened its parliamentary oversight.

He said: “DPP priority is the review of its constitution and operating procedures. Endorsements will only follow after adoption of the new constitution.

“This is no time for a campaign. This is no time for endorsements.”

DPP director of operations Joe Nyirongo on Tuesday held a press briefing in Mzuzu where he endorsed Rumphi North legislator Jappie Mhango and the party’s vice-president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa on positions of vice-president and president, respectively, ahead of the convention.

Earlier, former DPP regional governor (North)Christopher Mzomera Ngwira endorsed Ephraim Chiume for vice-president.

But Namalomba advised party members not to rush into endorsing leaders, but to strengthen the party and woo people to join it.

He said the party will at an appropriate time announce dates for the convention and accord members an opportunity to campaign for any position.

In its revised constitution, the party has abolished regional vice-presidents, blocked new members from contesting for positions, and barred former members who dumped it from returning.

The newly revised constitution follows the erstwhile governing party’s functional review conducted last year, which established that the party needed to reform its objectives, organisational structure and finance mobilisation.

And speaking on October 9 at the 2022 Muhlako wa Alhomwe Cultural Festival at Chonde in Mulanje, Mutharika said he would call for the party’s national governing council before December to approve the changes.

But in a telephone interview on Wednesday, Nyirongo insisted that he stands by his endorsements since that is what people from the North want.

He said it is also the wish of DPP members in the region to have its vice-president come from the region.

Said Nyirongo: “The DPP is a democratic institution where people are able to express their opinions. So, it’s not bad to express our opinions, especially as senior party members.

“As DPP director of operations, I made the endorsement following people’s wishes. They see him [Mhango] as a loyal member of the party and capable, and they have pledged to support him.”

Mzomera Ngwira on Wednesday asked to be called later, but when we did, he did not pick the calls.

Our efforts to speak to DPP secretary general Greselder Jeffrey on Friday also proved futile as she did not pick up our calls.

On his part, Mhango said everyone should abide by the party guidance on endorsements while Nankhumwa declined to comment on the matter.

Since 2020, DPP has remained divided over leadership succession issues.

Critics have, on the other hand, been calling for the party to quickly hold a convention to address the ongoing squabbles.

Political analyst Ernest Thindwa in an interview on Wednesday described the endorsements ahead of the convention as a continuation of party fractionalisation with rival camps competing to assert authority on the party’s elective process.

Thindwa said the endorsements also reflect party members jostling for positions as they seek to align themselves to preferred potential candidates in the patron-client fashion given the clientelist nature of party and national politics.

“It also shows that lack of functional intra-party democracy will always stimulate unorthodox means for ambitious members to stake their claim within the party’s hierarchy,” he said.

On his part, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences political analyst Chimwemwe Tsitsi said while endorsements are normal, they should not be detrimental to a party’s harmony.

He said: “Where the party has a policy that such endorsements should not be made until at a particular time, I am of the view that such a policy or arrangement should be respected, especially by those holding positions in the party.

“Therefore, it is wrong for position bearers to be acting against the party’s position on endorsements and be endorsing individuals for various positions, much as it is their freedom to do so in a democratic political system.”

In view of this, Tsitsi stressed that order is equally a crucial aspect of democratic politics.

A recent Afrobarometer survey released on August 30 2022 established through its opinion poll that a majority of respondents said they would vote for the DPP if elections were held in February 2022.

The survey results were released amid the DPP’s ongoing infighting on leadership succession matters, a development that analysts said gives the party an opportunity to reorganise itself.

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