Those plotting to unseat Lazarus Chakwera as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader may be preparing for a fight they cannot easily win.
Lawyer Khumbo Soko has delivered a blunt message to Chakwera’s critics, warning that the MCP’s internal structures stand in their way and suggesting that pleading with him to quit may be their only option.
In a Facebook post, Soko argued that anyone seeking to remove Chakwera must first understand how the MCP constitution and its delegate system work, warning that winning support from ordinary party members may not be enough to change the leadership.
“It’s important to have a war plan before you start a war. Ine Constitution ya MCP ndi set up ya ma structures awo ndikuyidziwa bwino heavy. Ndapitako kukhoti kawiri kukakamba za Constitution ya MCP,” he wrote.
Soko explained that elected positions at the party’s convention are determined by delegates, whose eligibility is defined by the MCP constitution.
He said the delegates are shaped through elections at district and regional levels before the convention, arguing that those controlling the party have an important role in overseeing the process.
According to Soko, Chakwera and the National Executive Committee (NEC) will oversee the process of preparing delegates for the next convention over the coming 12 to 18 months.
“Over the next 12 to 18 months or so, the delegates for the next MCP Convention will begin to get into shape and this process will be overseen by His Excellency Dr Laz and his NEC. Nde inu mukuona ngati mungawapinde?” he wrote.
Soko’s argument is that those seeking to replace Chakwera face a challenge beyond criticising his leadership, as they would also need to navigate the party structures that determine who votes at the convention.
He went further to suggest that Chakwera’s opponents should consider asking him to resign rather than attempt to remove him through the party’s internal electoral process.
“Kawapempheni cabe a Cakwera kuti atule pansi udindo. Mutagwada. Wapulika mzala Silvester Ayuba James?” Soko wrote, referring to fellow lawyer and MCP lawmaker Sylvester Ayuba James.
He added: “Otherwise, kuwalanda cinthuci nde nzobvuta.”
Soko’s remarks come amid growing tensions within the MCP following Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda’s warning that members who reject Chakwera’s leadership should leave the party rather than fuel internal divisions.
Speaking at a rally in Dowa on Sunday, Chimwendo accused some legislators of insulting Chakwera and undermining party unity. He urged those unwilling to respect or work with the former president to form their own political movement.
Ayuba responded on Monday, declaring that critics would not leave the MCP and accusing some leaders of treating the party as their personal property.
“Sitikupita kulikonse mafana. Tili mu MCP momwemu,” Ayuba wrote, insisting that the party did not belong to Chakwera’s allies.