PP party members defect to DPP

BY: Patrick Lunda

Crisis-ridden People’s Party (PP) has been dealt a big blow following the defection of 300 members of the party to the Malawi’s governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The 300 members included Malawi’s first ever female president Joyce Banda’s party top officials Bertha Masiku and Ettinor Koloviko.

DPP Regional Governor for the South Charles Mchacha said the defection underlined the party’s growing popularity since returning to become the country’s governing party following the election of President Peter Mutharika in 2014 Tripartite Elections.

Mchacha said the 300 members had defected from the Southern Region.

“I would like to welcome you to the party. This shows that our party is gaining ground,” Mchacha said.

Masiku, who is former Member of Parliament for Blantyre West, said the leadership wrangles rocking the party have forced her to jump the sinking ship.

“DPP is a party, which has a vision to advance development advantage of the country,” Masiku said.

“Since the PP party leader Joyce Banda’s whereabouts is not known I feel like I am a child who has been abandoned by a parent.”

PP has been embroiled in leadership crisis after its leader Joyce Banda still remain into a self impose exile after losing miserably in the Tripartite Elections.

The party recently expelled its controversial Northern Region governor Rev Mzomera Ngwira for inciting violence in protest of the appointment of Uladi Mussa as interim leader