DPP MPs in Constituency Cerebrations

By Richard Chirombo

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) MPs have taken a cue from President Bingu wa Mutharika's 'Thank you Tours' and are now organizing own victory cerebrations at constituency level.

Leading the fray is Mutharika's brother, Peter, who has made it to parliament at his first attempt. He had a full-course meal party for chiefs and party supporters in Thyolo late last week.

In Zomba, Kasungu , Karonga and Mzimba; it has been the same.

However, one of the party's new catches, Billy Kaunda who won on an independent ticket in Mzimba but has since joined the DPP, has suspended his cerebration parties. Kaunda says he has received death threats from people, he alleges, whom lost to him in the May19 Parliamentary elections.

DPP spokesperson, Hetherwick Ntaba, has described the constituency cerebrations over food as normal.

He says it is "Malawian" to go back to people and express appreciation.

"We are very happy, as a party, that, for the first time in our history, people have voted for us overwhelmingly. We are so much thankful to the people of Malawi and hence the 'thank you' cerebrations," said Ntaba.

Some of the DPP MPs whose wins are being contested in the courts (by

 Losing contestants) have not lagged behind- an indication of the confidence they have in the votes that took them to Parliament.