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Another Aford convention on
By
Gedion Munthali - 03-12-2002 |
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Opposition Alliance for Democracy (Aford) will hold an extraordinary convention this month end barely eight months after holding its annual convention where new office bearers were elected and various resolutions made.
But two senior officials of the party have threatened to obtain a court injunction restraining the organisation and holding of the convention, saying the arrangement is ill-conceived and in bad faith
Acting publicity secretary Norman Nyirenda disclosed on Tuesday an executive meeting at the weekend resolved that the convention be held on December 31 at a venue yet to be identified in Lilongwe to chart the way forward for the party in preparation for the 2004 general elections.
“Aford is a progressive and dynamic party. We respond to issues as they come,” said Nyirenda. “We want to look at the way forward, define our cooperation with government and the party’s contribution on issues of national concern like the economy, hunger, HIV/Aids, unemployment and development.”
Suspended secretary general Dan Msowoya, however, said the convention was must be stopped because its organisers were trying to mobilise party supporters to rise against him and all others who have differed with party president Chakufwa Chihana and throw them out of the party.
“We will argue in court that the convention must not go ahead because there are outstanding issues, some of them in the trays of the courts, concerning people who would have been part of the decision and organisation for holding such a convention,” said Msowoya.
He cited as outstanding issues his and publicity secretary Manifesto Kayira’s pending legal action against their suspension and the dismissal from the executive committee of campaign director Webster Kameme, as well as a pending judicial review of the dismissal of six MPs and two senior officials from the party.
Nyirenda, however, said that elections, the suspensions and dismissals are not part of the agenda but pointed out that they would be discussed if people raise them during the convention.
Bazuka Mhango, whose post of secretary of legal affairs was put on hold during the May 2002 convention, said the convention, although provided for in the party’s constitution, was ill-conceived and ill-timed as it would pre-empt decisions of the courts on some outstanding issues in the party.
“Yes, an extra ordinary convention can be summoned. But it depends on the issues necessitating such an extraordinary gathering,” said Mhango. “Nevertheless I do not understand how a convention can be called when there are issues yet to be resolved by the courts.”
Asked why the party wanted to hold a convention when it had just claimed its president was failing to address meetings outside the Northern Region due to lack of resources, Nyirenda said the party made savings from its quarterly parliamentary funding to hold the convention.
“Part of the reason the president has had no resources to address meetings is that we were saving towards this convention,” said Nyirenda, insisting Chihana was not a regionalist and also dismissing suggestions that divisions in Aford were widening over the issue. |
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