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The long awaited Peoples Progressive Movement (PPM) national convention, which was postponed twice, is finally on Wednesday at Natural Resources College in the capital Lilongwe where elections for the national executive committee will feature as the main item on the agenda, according to the party’s deputy director of publicity Catherine Chisala.
Chisala said in an interview on Tuesday the party’s national advisor and former United Democratic Front first vice president Aleke Banda and the party’s co-chairman Jimmy Koreia Mpatsa are contesting for the presidency.
Chisala said the elected president will automatically become presidential candidate of the party who will be presented at the coalition negotiations.
Chisala also disclosed that businessman Mark Katsonga Phiri and Chokani Mhango will compete on the position of first vice President.
She could not immediately say which other people will compete for other positions.
But Chisala said several other people, including interim director of publicity Brian Mungomo and interim director of international affairs Shyly Khondowe, who are abroad, have expressed interest to contest on several positions.
Some of the positions include secretary general, treasurer general and directors of publicity, research, legal affairs and women affairs, among others.
“It will be an open contest. We expect the foreign based contestants to come if they are still interested to contest for certain positions because we can not elect people in absentia,” said Chisala.
She said 600 to 700 delegates are expected to turn up for the convention from the party’s 29 political districts, adding they will comprise interim executive members, regional and district committee members, aspiring MPs and interim constituency leaders, among others.
Chisala said the convention will start with registration on Wednesday while other items on the agenda will be done away with on Thursday and Friday before a rally on Saturday.
She said the convention has been budgeted at K5 million ($47,169) which has been sourced within the party.
According to Chisala other items on the agenda include ratification of the constitution, and the unveiling of manifesto.
On the coalition, Chisala said her party held a meeting to discuss Malawi Congress Party demands to have both the presidential candidate and the running mate and they resolved that it was unfortunate for MCP to make such demands.
“It’s a bit selfish for one party to demand both positions in a coalition. A coalition means that all players are supposed to be involved,” said Chisala who said the issue will be left to the negotiating committee and will not be discussed at the convention.,
The long awaited Peoples Progressive Movement (PPM) national convention, which was postponed twice, is finally on Wednesday at Natural Resources College in the capital Lilongwe where elections for the national executive committee will feature as the main item on the agenda, according to the party’s deputy director of publicity Catherine Chisala.
Chisala said in an interview on Tuesday the party’s national advisor and former United Democratic Front first vice president Aleke Banda and the party’s co-chairman Jimmy Koreia Mpatsa are contesting for the presidency.
Chisala said the elected president will automatically become presidential candidate of the party who will be presented at the coalition negotiations.
Chisala also disclosed that businessman Mark Katsonga Phiri and Chokani Mhango will compete on the position of first vice President.
She could not immediately say which other people will compete for other positions.
But Chisala said several other people, including interim director of publicity Brian Mungomo and interim director of international affairs Shyly Khondowe, who are abroad, have expressed interest to contest on several positions.
Some of the positions include secretary general, treasurer general and directors of publicity, research, legal affairs and women affairs, among others.
“It will be an open contest. We expect the foreign based contestants to come if they are still interested to contest for certain positions because we can not elect people in absentia,” said Chisala.
She said 600 to 700 delegates are expected to turn up for the convention from the party’s 29 political districts, adding they will comprise interim executive members, regional and district committee members, aspiring MPs and interim constituency leaders, among others.
Chisala said the convention will start with registration on Wednesday while other items on the agenda will be done away with on Thursday and Friday before a rally on Saturday.
She said the convention has been budgeted at K5 million ($47,169) which has been sourced within the party.
According to Chisala other items on the agenda include ratification of the constitution, and the unveiling of manifesto.
On the coalition, Chisala said her party held a meeting to discuss Malawi Congress Party demands to have both the presidential candidate and the running mate and they resolved that it was unfortunate for MCP to make such demands.
“It’s a bit selfish for one party to demand both positions in a coalition. A coalition means that all players are supposed to be involved,” said Chisala who said the issue will be left to the negotiating committee and will not be discussed at the convention.
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