ELECTION DEFEATS FRACTURE THE MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY

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SIPDIS

LONDON FOR AF WATCHER PETER LORD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2019
TAGS: KDEM PGOV MI
SUBJECT: ELECTION DEFEATS FRACTURE THE MALAWI CONGRESS PARTY

Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER JOHN LETVIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (d)


1. (C) Summary: The poor performance of the Malawi Congress
Party (MCP) in the recent general elections led Ishmael
Chafukira, the party's spokesman, to call for the immediate
resignation of the party's leader and presidential candidate,
John Tembo. In return, Tembo fired Chafukira and has branded
him as a traitor to the party. This has led to a split in
the party between those who support Tembo and those who would
like to see change occur within the MCP. Chafukira, who
claims that he has significant support from losing MCP
parliamentary candidates and party financiers, believes the
MCP must immediately reform itself to become more open and
constituent-focused. Chafukira has bet his career in the MCP
that he can bring reform to the party, but Tembo still
singularly controls the MCP. Ultimately, Chafukira and other
MCP reformers may find more success creating a new
organization and bringing like-minded reformers into their
fold. End Summary.


2. (SBU) In Malawi's recent general elections, the Malawi
Congress Party lost over half of its seats in the Parliament,
and MCP presidential candidate John Tembo lost by a margin of
over 30 percent. Following the defeat, Tembo told his party
that he had formally challenged the results and would not
accept defeat until his concerns were addressed. The
overwhelming defeat and Tembo's refusal to accept the results
prompted Ishmael Chafukira, the MCP's spokesman, to openly
criticize the leadership of Tembo and ask him to resign as
the party's president. Tembo responded by firing Chafukira
and saying his statements were tantamount to resignation from
the MCP. Chafukira, who won reelection to his own
parliamentary seat, maintains he is still a staunch member of
the MCP and has only the party's interests at heart.


3. (C) Chafukira told emboffs that despite being the lone
public voice to call for Tembo's resignation, he has
significant support within the MCP. Chafukira acknowledged
that the 25 other MCP members of Parliament will likely stand
behind Tembo, but said former party leaders, losing MCP
candidates, and MCP financiers have all silently backed his
position. Chafukira said he has been approached about
starting a new party, but he views this as a move of last
resort. Likewise, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
spokesman Heatherwick Ntaba made intonations that the DPP
might use its majority to amend the Parliament's standing
orders to name Chafukira the Leader of the Opposition instead
of Tembo. Chafukira dismissed the DPP's interference and
said the reports only undermined his position as a reformer
within the MCP. Instead, Chafukira said he plans to continue
to gather support within the party and try to force a new
convention to decide on the party's leadership.


4. (C) The MCP had maintained a strong support base in the
Central Region of Malawi before the 2009 elections based on
the influence of former dictator Kamuzu Banda. Chafukira said
that the MCP under Tembo's leadership took this support for
granted and failed to reach out to the new generation of
voters who didn't remember the MCP's glory days under Banda.
He faulted Tembo for resting on his reputation and not
campaigning on issues. Chafukira lamented that the 2009
elections signaled the end of the era of "big man" politics
in Malawi, but said Tembo refuses to acknowledge the fact.
He insists that the MCP must immediately open up, promote
internal debate, and listen to the needs of the people if it
wants to survive until the next election as a party.


5. (C) Chafukira told emboffs that campaign financing was the
final straw in his decision to go public against Tembo. He
said the MCP devoted all of its party resources to Tembo's
presidential campaign, leaving no money for MCP parliamentary
candidates, many of whom could not even afford campaign
posters. When Tembo announced he would challenge the
election results, he told Chafukira and MCP leadership that
he planned to use over $70,000 USD of the party's money for
legal fees. Chafukira said he protested and asked Tembo to
contest the election results as an individual with his own
money and not waste party resources on the frivolous
challenge. After Tembo refused, Chafukira went to the media
to call for Tembo's resignation and to ask him to account for
the MCP's funds. Chafukira said numerous losing MCP
candidates and party financiers have since agreed to support
his effort to remove Tembo because of suspected abuse of
finances.


6. (C) Comment: Tembo's defeat and former president Muluzi's
"retirement" from politics have caused many in the next
generation of Malawian politicians to believe it is NOW their
time. While Chafukira is the first in the MCP's next

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generation to challenge the old guard, similar movements
struck Muluzi's United Democratic Front over the past two
years. Many think Chafukira's move to unseat Tembo was
premature, but coming on the heels of Tembo's crushing
defeat, he acted boldly when dissatisfaction with Tembo was
at its highest. Despite the momentary dissatisfaction with
his leadership, Tembo is still very much in control of the
MCP and will likely expel Chafukira and other reformers from
the MCP.
BODDE