STATEMENT BY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT HONOURABLE KONDWANI NANKHUMWA, MP, ON ACTS OF VIOLENCE AT DPP PRESS CONFERENCE IN LILONGWE
FEBRUARY 20, 2021
I wish to strongly condemn acts of violence that occurred at a press conference addressed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson, administrative secretary, organising secretary and director of legal affairs, Honourable Brown Mpinganjira, Francis Mphepo, Chimwemwe Chipungu and Charles Mhango, respectively, in Lilongwe on Friday, February 19, 2021.
As Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, I cannot remain silent when our youths are being used to beat up our leaders and violate our core party democratic values. The violent manner in which these youths stormed the press conference room was simply unacceptable, shameful and criminal. We are a nation of laws and let the law take its course.
Under its constitution, the DPP believes that political stability, peace, good governance, social and economic development can only be achieved under conditions of national unity. I am a firm believer in unity in political diversity and that political differences should not degenerate into violence and public insults.
I wish to urge all DPP leaders and members to always strive to uphold our party constitution.
Politics of castigation and violence are way out of fashion. Malawians are now able to discern the wheat from the chaff. We must understand that we are in a new era of issue-based politics, and that those among us who will refuse to conform to this new reality will fall by the wayside.
The DPP must set the pace in preaching and practicing unity and issue-based politics; we need to ensure that we inculcate the practice of issue-based politics, and not violence and castigation, at every level and facet of our party. As a political party, we need unity of purpose and to speak from an integrated platform to ensure that we return to power in 2025.
Honourable Kondwani Nankhumwa, MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT
yes tell them. this is the very same reason we hate hrdc and utmcp. apm is a peaceful man and he believes in democracy. he is neither scared of convention nor elections like all politicians. use of violence is now liked by those who want to intimidate others to give up from contesting. is this what you call democracy? don’t stop any one who aspires a certain position. let ideologies battle out and the winner be declared.