WOULD A MERE 38000 VOTES GIVE PP AN ELECTION VICTORY ?

I had a line-up of things to blog this week and by Sunday evening, the schedule was already intact and ready to roll. My initial purpose though was defeated when I listened to a news item during the bulletin on Zodiak Broadcasting Station.

The story, which has ignited the wrath of Peoples Party (PP) members, says Transport Minister Sidik Mia has created parallel structures in his Chikwawa-Nkombezi constituency on the pretext that he has brought with him 38,000 members from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The Zodiak report went on to say that Mia had earlier indicated that he was justified politically because his host of supporters cannot be compared with the 62 that PP had in the area.

Based on that argument, the MP has seen it “wise” to have his own constituency hierarchy thereby bringing confusion and discontent among the founding members of the PP.

No way can one wake up and from nowhere start sidelining those who founded the party and struggled when they were under intense persecution. Ironically, it is the 38,000 that victimized the 62 during the Bingu regime.

As I am writing, the PP must be in a fix on how best it is going to address the problem.   

I see a lot of missing links in Mia’s argument. May we be reminded that Mia was one of the first ministers to show open support to President Joyce Banda soon after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika; fine and good.

However, this was the time that President Banda had already received support as well from opposition parties, civil society, the Malawi Law Commission and the disciplined forces (Malawi Defense Force and Malawi Police Services) and a great congregation of the country’s population.  

If Mia can stand on his 38,000 supporters to bargain for his influence in Peoples Party then that is very unfortunate.

There are structures in the ruling party that need to be respected through following the right procedures. Failure to do so is politically and morally incorrect.

I don’t think PP can lose an election by letting go one out of the 193 constituencies represented in the National Assembly. The Transport Minister must abide to the rules of the ruling party if he really cares about serving Her Excellency Mrs. Joyce Banda.

My take on the matter is that, Mia can keep his constituency and his 38,000 supporters but he cannot weaken the strength of the PP at all.  

Peoples Party authorities, honour your founding members at all cost.