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| National |
| Cracks in Aford over membership |
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by
Edwin Nyirongo, 14 November 2006
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05:33:42
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At a time the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) was looking set to rediscover its glorious past, cracks have emerged in the party over the decision that those returning to the party should get fresh endorsement from the grassroots before being welcomed back.
But those returning to the party after a sojourn in other political parties have bashed the idea, saying it will derail Aford in its drive for reconciliation and rebuilding.
Aford publicity secretary Norman Nyirenda said on Monday all returnees would not automatically get positions in the party, arguing that, practically, they are not members of the party.
“They left the party and if they want to be official members of the party, they have to get a fresh mandate from the grassroots,” said Nyirenda.
He said some of the people going back to Aford cost the party a lot of money when they tried to grab the presidency from the late Chakufwa Chihana.
The party’s Secretary General Johnstone Langa agreed with Nyirenda on the issue, saying rules of the party state that someone who left the party has to be accepted by the grassroots before he or she can be incorporated into its mainstream activities.
“It is only Mr. Barnet Mtonga who wrote the DPP that he was no longer their member and also got the okay from the grassroots but the rest did not do that,” said Langa.
He, however, said the returnees told the people during public rallies the party addressed in Rumphi and Karonga that they were now Aford members.
Former Mzuzu City Mayor Egbert Chibambo said during the first meeting the new-look Aford had in Mzuzu, they agreed that anyone was free to return without conditions.
“We said it openly that every member that wants to return to the party should not be prevented and what Norman is saying is not good, especially now when we are trying to rebuild the party,” he said.
Former Secretary General and aspirant for the party’s presidency, Dan Msowoya, described Nyirenda’s statement as baseless and aimed at taking the party back to square one.
Msowoya agreed with Chibambo that the resolution from the first unified executive meeting was that nobody should be barred from rejoining the party.
Since Chihana’s death, many former party members have rejoined the party.
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