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| National |
| UDF, MCP shun primaries |
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by
Denis Mzembe, 28 October 2003
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18:11:01
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As election fever grips the nation, political parties in Parliament are on the verge of deciding whether to retain their sitting Members of Parliament or put them through the test by going through primaries.
Main opposition Malawi Congress Party President John Tembo said on Tuesday the party will hold primaries only in those constituencies where the party is not represented.
And in an interview on Tuesday ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) deputy secretary general Paul Maulidi indicated that the party may consider retaining some of the MPs currently serving on the party’s ticket.
“But we have not yet decided on the issue. The executive will be meeting to make a decision on the issue. But there is room that we may have to protect the current crop of MPs,” Maulidi said.
Recently some serving Members of Parliament especially from the UDF have openly stopped any moves by aspiring parliamentary candidates to campaign in their constituencies.
They include Blantyre City South East MP Fidson Chisesele whose major challenger is Victor White Mbewe, and Balaka West MP Weston Kanjira (UDF) who has also banned any political gathering in his constituency except for President Bakili Muluzi and himself.
Mbewe on his part challenged Chisesele, saying he would go ahead to stand as an independent if he is not allowed to contest on the UDF ticket.
People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) interim executive member Ralph Kasambara, a lawyer by profession, also defied Kanjira’s order saying he had no legal authority and that the order was tantamount to an infringement of people’s right to freedom of assembly and association.
Maulidi explained that the move to bar some aspirants from campaigning “is part of the political game and in fact the reason is simply because campaign time has not been officially launched.
“We have not yet declared campaign period. So sitting MPs are likely to protect their constituencies,” said Maulidi
UDF’s ally, the Alliance for Democracy (Aford), has, however, indicated that the party may consider holding primaries in readiness for next year’s elections soon after the November 7 convention.
“My thinking is that we have to go through primaries so that we are given a fresh mandate by our constituents. Aford at the moment does not subscribe to the idea of not holding primaries,” he said.
Speaker of Parliament Davis Katsonga, a UDF member himself, indicated he is against imposing candidates on the electorate.
“Any protection of current MPs must be backed by democratic procedures. If one has failed to serve his constituents he may not have to expect to be re-elected,” he said. |
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