Director of women in Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Patricia Kaliati, has asked the party to practise “real” democracy and allow everyone to freely contest for any position during the June elective convention
DPP secretary general, Grezeldar Jeffrey, announced on Wednesday that the party would hold a convention in June but did not give the exact date for the indaba.
Kaliati, who is one of the leading supporters of Vice- President Chilima, said in an interview yesterday, if the convention will not be held democratically, it will not sort out differences that have emerged in the party.
“One cannot just wake up and parade students, parade Members of Parliament… and some of the Members of Parliament are doing it out of fear. They went to their constituencies and were booed. They are forgetting that, even if we parade them today, we have 21st May 2019 when individually the conscience of that person will go for something,” Kaliati said.
She said the succession plan has always been a problem within DPP, citing cases of former vice-presidents Cassim Chilumpha and Joyce Banda.
She said calling for a convention was supposed to be discussed at National Governing Council level.
“But, then, our party is democratic and we need to live by example. I cannot even accuse them; they have met and discussed and come up with that date,” Kaliati said.
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