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| National |
| Malewezi faces chop from PPM |
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by
Mabvuto Banda, 27 February 2004
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14:10:51
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The People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) will next week decide whether to keep or fire its first vice president Justin Malewezi and second vice president Jimmy Koreia Mpatsa despite their resolute defence on Thursday at a news conference that they have not gone against the party’s constitution by running for the presidency.
Legal adviser for PPM James Makoza Chirwa, reacting to Malewezi’s announcement in Blantyre on Thursday that he will stand as an independent presidential candidate and still remain a member of PPM, said the country’s veep has breached the constitution of the party and gone against the National Executive Committee’s resolution.
“On March 5, 2004, the Nec will be meeting and one of the things on the agenda will be the issue of Honourable Malewezi and Mr. Mpatsa because there has been a lot of correspondence between them and the president Aleke Banda that will need to be discussed,” Chirwa said.
He explained that the party’s NEC met on February 13, 2004 and took a vote with nine voting in favour of going ahead with Mgwirizano and 4 against the move while the other 4 were absent.
But Malewezi, flanked by his running mate Mpatsa, vice secretary general Chokani Mhango, national organising secretary Dorothy Ngoma and deputy youth director Cecil Kapakasa, declared just an hour before presenting his nomination papers at Chichiri Hall that he has decided to run for presidency because he has a mission dubbed “operation rescue Malawi through a new way of doing government business”.
“This mission starts at 3 PM at Chichiri Conference Hall in Blantyre where I will present my nomination papers to signify my willingness, to signify my readiness, to signify my preparedness to serve the people of Malawi as president.
“An independent presidential candidate will offer this country many benefits because firstly, the president will appoint a cabinet from among all Malawians irrespective of party affiliations, the government will be participatory and therefore advance unity, there will be clearer separation of party and government activities, government decision will be made for the benefits of the country and not only to toe the party line,” Malewezi said as some of the benefits to his candidacy.
He announced an account number 0141011586400 at National Bank of Malawi, Henderson Street for well-wishers to donate money to his campaign.
“We do not have any vendettas with anyone. We have not come to settle any scores. We have not come with personal agendas. We have not embarked on this mission for our personal benefit but for the benefit of Malawians and it is therefore prudent that the beneficiaries should invest in this mission through providing financial support to this account number,” Malewezi said.
At exactly 3 PM, Malewezi and his team arrived at the Chichiri Hall to present his nomination amid ululation from PPM supporters who had braved heavy rains.
He became the only independent presidential candidate after the other five decided to pull out at the last minute. He then declared that he is standing for all political parties in the country after Electoral Commission chairman James Kalaile described him as a mature politician.
Malewezi’s decision has since left PPM divided between himself and its president Aleke Banda who is running mate to Gwanda Chakuamba in the Mgwirizano Coalition.
On Wednesday political scholars from the university of Malawi described his decision as a political miscalculation and accused Malewezi of being power hungry.
Malewezi quit the UDF as second national chairman and decided to go on leave pending resignation on May 18 as vice president of the country.
UDF pleaded with him to resign as VP and when he refused they took litigation against him on grounds that he had caused a constitutional crisis.
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