DPP wrangles worsen, fights CSOs

By Kondanani Chilimunthaka

Intra-party wrangles in Democratic Progressive Party have gone beyond party politics as DPP has now turned its red-eye on the Human Rights groups , Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) in particular, calling it hypocrite with selective activism.

According to the statement the party released on 5th January 2024 and signed by its spokesperson who is also a Spokes person for Peter Mutharika, Shadric Namalomba, DPP has all its fingers pointed at HRDC for what DPP says poking the noses into its affairs.

In its statement a few days ago, HRDC argued that DPP has regrettably become a courtroom regular caught in a complex system of leadership disputes due to power struggle between Peter Mutharika and Kondwani Nankhumwa that has led the party to fail its responsibility to provide checks and balances on government.

“Instead of focusing on their critical oversight role, leaders in the opposition have been entangled in internal disputes, wasting valuable time on court battles and press briefings that castigate one another” Reads part of the HRDC statement which has angered DPP.

HRDC has since called the opposition parties, particularly DPP to rise above personal egos in order to resolve internal disputes, saying Malawians deserve an effective opposition.

But DPP which has since losing elections in 2020 been changing tone on what brought them out of government ranging from CFT led by Timothy Mtambo, to MCP and Judges in the Presidential election case of 2019, and now the HRDC introduced its statement by pointing their fingers at HRDC as hypocrite, selective activists with pathological hatred on DPP.

It reads in part; “It is rather ironic that it is HRDC that maliciously drove DPP out of the government. We strongly urge HRDC to rethink and refrain from poking their noses into the affairs of DPP”

Regardless of the extent of disagreements, DPP has in its statement failed to admit wrangles and divisions within it, but went further calling HRDC a violent group that had mobilized violent groups and mobs to dislodge DPP from power.