MCP denies snubbing PAC on electoral reforms, accuses Nation Newspaper of twisting facts

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has denied reports that the Party has snubbed Public Affairs Committee (PAC) on the intended meeting on electoral reforms and the Party has accused the Nation Publications Limited of fabricating the story.

On Wednesday, Nation Newspaper carried a story titled: “MCP SNUBS PAC MEETING, DPP UNDECIDED”. In the story, the paper claimed that MCP is not interested in meeting PAC over electoral reforms.

But MCP Deputy Spokesperson Eisenhower Mkaka trashed the story, saying MCP is fully supportive of the PAC agenda in as far as the electoral reforms are concerned.

“What happened is that on Monday 2nd October 2017, Mr. Robert Phiri, the PAC Executive Director, called the Party’s Deputy Secretary General, Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka to consult with him on whether it was necessary to meet the Party President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, again since they had already met him in his capacity as Leader of Opposition. In essence, Mr. Phiri did not see the need for meeting Dr. Chakwera again and he just wanted to check with the Party if it shared the same thoughts. The Party agreed with this line of thought and said there was no need to meet on the same as the position has not changed.

“Later, the Nation reporter called the Party’s Deputy Secretary General (DSG), after talking with Mr. Phiri, just to confirm the above line of thought. The Party’s DSG confirmed with the reporter that he had talked with Mr. Phiri and mutually agreed that there was no need for another meeting as the Party’s position remain the same as the one the Hon. Dr. Chakwera gave in his capacity as Leader of Opposition,” said Mkaka.

He added: “In a surprise turn of events, the Nation has carried a different story altogether.

“When the Party’s DSG called Mr. Lucky Mkandawire to ask why he had changed the story, he began by agreeing that what has been presented is not what he had talked with the Party’s DSG and he promised to come back. When he came back, he apologized that what has been presented is not what he wrote and that his editor, Mr. Mchulu is the one who change it; for what reason we do not know. The DSG further talked with the sub-editor, Mr. Bamusi, who also agreed the story line has been changed.”

Meanwhile MCP has asked the Nation to retract the story.