The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has once again displayed contempt towards Kondwani Nankhumwa’s academic prowess by tasking Dr Dalitso Kabambe to issue a response to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA)
Nankhumwa, who holds a tattered Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE), has been treated with disdain within the DPP inner circle who are working day and night to frustrate his candidacy for party leader.
It is therefore not surprising that a week after the Leader of Opposition delivered his SONA response in Parliament, the party is openly displeased by the contents of his statement.
The conduct by the DPP breaks the tradition that has been there among political parties that have the mandate to respond to the SONA in Parliament
As a party that sponsored Nankhumwa to parliament, it was unexpected of the DPP to issue its own statement in response to the State of the Nation Address.
In the statement, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba assesses the current government based on a number of areas, which include macroeconomic outlook for the country, monetary policy and fiscal performance, agriculture, trade and industry, tourism, education, mining, reforms, foreign affairs, health and fight against corruption, among others.
But his statement has drawn mixed reaction from Malawians, with others questioning rationale behind the decision by the former ruling party to ignore a response by its Leader of Opposition in parliament.
An Area 26 resident in Lilongwe, Kanyangala Nkhoma, said it had never happened in the history of Malawi democracy for an opposition party, which sponsors the Leader of Opposition to issue a contrary statement in response to the State of the Nation Address.
“I believe it’s a sign that cracks are deepening in the DPP. Otherwise, there is no wisdom in the party to release its own statement when the Leader of Opposition comes from its own member,” said Nkhoma.
Renowned governance and human rights advocate Undule Mwakasungula asked for more time to analyze the DPP statement before commenting.