Commentator Faults Malawi Opposition Party

By Thula Chisamba

A political and social commentator with the Mzuzu University (MZUNI) Chrispin Mphande has lamented on the ongoing wrangles swinging some opposition parties in the country, citing they are a threat to democracy.

Mphande made the remarks after noting recent local media reports which highlights some internal conflicts rocking major opposition political parties like Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Peoples Party (PP) and the United democratic front (UDF).

Chrispin Mphande is a lecturer in Social History at Mzuzu University. He holds an MA in African Social History (Mlw). His research interests are community livelihoods, land tenure and gender relations

 

He emphasized that the situations exposes weaknesses of the opposition, consequently government becomes more powerful and free to impose evil on Malawians.
“That shows, we don’t have a strong opposition in the country. In a democratic system that is very dangerous because the ruling party utilizes on the weaknesses to impose whatever without any objection,” he said.

This publication understands that in the listed political parties, there are wrangles which are believed to have emerged due to leadership crisis.

In all the parties, divisions are becoming the order of the day such that latest information shows that some are dumping their parties for the ruling party.
“When people flock to ruling parties leaving the opposition empty, that is the beginning of bad governance in the country because in democracy, good governance is shaped by the power of the opposition political parties,” he added.

It is understood that, the in the country’s main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), some are rebelling the leadership of Lazarus Chakwera on the basis that he runs the same without following constitution.

On the part of the former ruling People’s Party (PP), regionalism is believed to be fueling the leadership crisis because officials from the northern region are advocating for Khumbo Kachali while those from other regions are in support of Uladi Mussa as the party’s acting leader in absence of its founder Joyce Banda.
“These parties plus UDF, must consider melting their differences and come together before things turns worse in the country,” added Mphande