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A secret meeting at the Chief of Staff's residence in Nanjiri-Lilongwe last Saturday elected President Bingu wa Mutharika as president of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Gwanda Chakuamba as interim chairman, Uladi Mussa as vice chairman and Greene Mwamondwe as secretary general, Nation Online has established.
But the meeting, sources said, left out initial Mutharika supporters like Paul Maulidi, Salim Bagus, Ken Lipenga, Samson Msosa who resigned from the UDF with others a few days after the President quit the party to stifle a challenge from his predecessor Bakili Muluzi.
“Maulidi and Bagus formed their own committee and presented it to Bingu and this made the President angry that's why they have been left out of the committee which is also yet to be endorsed by the President,” said a member of the interim committee who asked for anonymity.
Maulidi and Bagus could not be reached to comment but Lipenga said he had no problem with being left out of the DPP Nec.
“We can serve this country in various capacities. You don't have to be a member of Nec to serve the country,” said Lipenga.
According to an MPs who attended the meeting, which lasted up to 4 AM on Saturday, two prominent members of the defunct National Democratic Alliance (NDA): Peter Chupa and Arthur Makhalira were elected as national organising secretary and deputy legal affairs director, respectively.
Health Minister Hetherwick Ntaba is publicity secretary and will be deputised by Mgode's Roger Nkhwazi.
Another Republican Party member elected into the new party is Bazuka Mhango and he is director for legal affairs. Mhango is also Minister of Lands and Housing. Minister of Gender, Community and Women Affairs Joyce Banda was elected director of women affairs, a post she resigned from in the UDF a couple of weeks ago.
Independent MP for Blantyre City South East Billy Kaunda went away with the post of director of youth services. He was among the five independent MPs that attended the meeting out of the 40 invited.
The independent MPs that attended are Kaunda, Blantyre City MP Gift Mwamondwe, Gerald Mponda MP for Blantyre South-West, Jimmy Banda for Blantyre City South and MP for Balaka South Ernest Malenga, a source close to the meeting said.
Mutharika, sources said, graced the meeting which included ministers Chakuamba, David Faiti, Uladi Mussa,Yusuf Mwawa and Lipenga among others. The People's Progressive Party (PPM) was also in attendance but did not finish the deliberations after they refused to dissolve their party. PPM president Aleke Banda and his deputy Mark Katsonga represented PPM.
Others in attendance included Bagus, Maulidi and Msosa.
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