Call for VP resignation is DPP madness—Rev. Kaleso

Growing calls by the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the resignation of state vice president Joyce Banda is a sign of "madness", the People's Party (PP) has said.

The party's administrative secretary Reverend Peter Kaleso told journalists at the party's headquarters in Blantyre on Thursday that Banda was elected simultaneously with president Bingu wa Mutharika in May 2009 by millions of Malawi and that it was therefore madness "for a few people to converge and call for her resignation".

Local government minister Henry Mussa, labour minister Lucius Kanyumba, lands minister Yunus Mussa and information and civic education minister Patricia Kaliati accused Banda of "fighting her own government" at a news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday. They demanded that she resigns or risk being impeached in parliament when it sits in November.

Kaleso: Joyce Banda remains VP up to 2014 woooooo!

But reacting angrily to the demand, Reverend Kaleso said the VP was VP was dismissed from the DPP in December 201 alongside legislator Khumbo Kachali "and what else could she have done apart from forming her own party while she remains the constitutional vice president".

"The constitution is very clear on the vice president and it cannot take three people to undo a document (constitution) that took months to put together by legal experts in consultation with various stakeholders," Rev. Kaleso said.

The reverend, who was flanked by PP secretary general Henry Chibwana and director of women Clara Makungwa, among top officials, said it was "cheap" for the DPP to continually take on the vice president instead of "putting their own house in order" and addressing the various pressing issues negatively impacting on Malawians.

Earlier, Chibwana allayed allegations by the DPP officials that Banda had financed the recent mass demonstrations to the tune of K2 million in a quest of a "regime change".

Chibwana, former principal at University of Malawi's Polytechnic, said the People's Party and Banda were aware that the next elections are only due in 2014 and therefore they would not advocate for regime change now.

"The whole demonization campaign by the DPP against Madame Banda is outrageous and I wish condemn it unreservedly," said the SG, adding that the state vice president shall continue to defend and uphold the republican constitution as promised when she took her oath of office in may 2009.

Nyasa Times 17 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/blog/2011/09/16/call-for-vp-resignation-is-dpp-madness%e2%80%94rev-kaleso/
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