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Aford has planned to dissolve existing district committees ahead of a convention that will seek to confirm the expulsion of suspended party president Chakufwa Chihana.
Inside sources say the party’s National Executive Council (Nec) meets next week to discuss an impending convention and topping agenda will be dissolution of the district committees “to ensure active people are in place”.
“It has been established that some of those committees are in disarray and confused reeling from the rift between Chihana and members of his executive,” said the source.
But, while confirming the impending Nec meeting secretary general Wallace Chiume and publicity secretary Khwauli Msiska said not all committees will be dissolved.
Said Chiume: “We are indeed meeting as NEC next week and among many things we will be looking at the district committees. Some districts that are too big and would be split, we are also looking at the possibility of making Mzimba another political region due to its size and population.”
He said already, the party has divided Karonga and Chitipa into two political districts each and would do the same with Nkhata Bay and Rumphi.
However, Chihana’s latest confidant, Isaac Vuwa Kaunda warned that any tampering with existing district or regional committees was unconstitutional, illegal and would be deemed as “a rigging process for impending elections”.
Kaunda said the dissolution of committees was a clandestine plan by the ‘Chiume faction’ to do away with those who support Chihana in Aford.
“As regional secretary and Nec member, I am surprised that some people would want to confuse things by dissolving committees before the convention. Why don’t we follow procedure, comply with the court ruling and prevent more confrontation?” said Kaunda, who is also parliamentarian for Nkhata Bay Central.
He advised that other than tampering with committees, the Aford Nec and all factions should just concentrate on their campaign in the existing structures and not use unorthodox ways to unseat “the legitimate leader of the party”.
But Msiska quashed Kaunda’s sentiments, advising him to study Chihana carefully “‘before committing all his support to the fallen Aford president”.
Said Msiska: “Hon. Kaunda just joined our party as an independent candidate recently. My plea to him is that he should not rush to commit himself to Chihana who he does not thoroughly know. After all, he is not an authority on matters of procedure of our party, if anything he is just learning politics in Aford.”
Kaunda was until last year a member of the UDF and stood as an independent during the May general elections after the party decided to give way to Aford as part of the two parties’ agreement in the coalition memorandum of understanding.
Msiska said Chihana and his henchmen should not worry that the NEC would tamper with existing structures, stressing it was only few “dormant” committees which would be replaced.
“This of course would be done in a very transparent and democratic process. We are not like the other camp that used to replace people unconstitutionally,” said Msiska.
Kaunda stressed he knew what he was saying and as regional secretary and parliamentarian, he had the authority to comment on the issue.
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