In a democracy, political parties are supposed to be bastions of leadership, vision, and accountability. They are expected to embody and project the aspirations of the people they seek to represent.
But in Malawi, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is offering the nation a spectacle so absurd, so humiliating, that it risks making a complete mockery of our democratic process. What the DPP is doing today is not politics, it is theatre of the grotesque. It is painful, cartoonish, and disturbingly out of touch with reality.
The party has now descended into a pitiful circus, trying to drag an old and ailing man former President Arthur Peter Mutharika back into the political ring, despite all signs that his body, mind, and perhaps even his own will, are no longer up to the task.
The scenes unfolding are nothing short of tragic. And honestly this is the making of a Puppet Presidency.
Now, the DPP’s decision to write to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), seeking clarification on whether a presidential candidate can submit nomination papers by proxy, speaks volumes.
Behind the technical question lies a deeper crisis: the party is desperately trying to conceal the fact that its chosen flagbearer is physically or mentally unavailable. This is not merely a matter of law, it is a matter of truth, of ethics, and of leadership.
Let us be honest again: if Mutharika were in good health and fully committed, he would have been visible to the public by now. He would have stood shoulder to shoulder with Malawians during the national mourning of Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima and eight others.
He would have addressed his supporters, energised his base, and perhaps collected his nomination papers like what Dr, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and Kondwani Nankhumwa have done. But instead, the DPP is busy staging performances—circulating old photos, issuing vague statements, and dodging media questions.
It is embarrassing. This is a political party held hostage by nostalgia.
Why is the DPP so determined to cling to Mutharika? The answer is both psychological and political. The party has failed to evolve. It has become a cult of personality so deeply entrenched that it cannot imagine itself beyond Mutharika.
In a party that once prided itself on its technocratic base and youthful energy, today there is only nostalgia and fear. Nostalgia for the days when Mutharika held the reins of power, and fear of internal fragmentation if a new leader rises.
Mutharika himself, at 86, should be resting. He has served. He has played his part. But instead, he is being used, perhaps unwillingly, by self-serving individuals who are more interested in securing their own political futures than in advancing the party or the country.
Where is the leadership in the DPP? Where is the dignity, the clarity, the sense of mission?
Instead of confronting the truth head-on, party officials are speaking in riddles. Secretary General Peter Mukhito signs letters to MEC, but refuses to explain the party’s direction. Spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba remains evasive, issuing half-truths and deflections.
The so-called National Governing Council meeting to endorse George Chaponda as acting president does so with the kind of secrecy and indecision that smacks of desperation rather than discipline.
Worse still, the public is being treated to WhatsApp forwards and speculative social media posts, as if this is how national leadership should be exercised.
Malawians are left without answers as they further ask and justifiably so: “Is he even in South Africa? Or still alive?” These are not jokes made in jest, they are born out of genuine concern and justified frustration.
The party has turned the former president into a ghost leader, hovering over the political landscape with no flesh-and-blood presence.
As we have pointed out, the attempt to use a proxy to submit nomination papers is not just a legal technicality. It is a glaring sign of moral and strategic bankruptcy.
Presidential leadership is not a courier service. It is not something that can be delegated at the final moment. If a candidate cannot physically submit his nomination in person, a key ritual in the democratic process, how can he be expected to campaign, to govern, or to inspire confidence?
The law may not explicitly forbid proxy submission. But the spirit of the law, and the dignity of leadership, surely do. This is about transparency, about demonstrating capacity. If Mutharika is unwell, say so. If he cannot run, replace him. Malawi deserves clarity.
Instead, what the DPP offers is a pantomime. It wants to hoodwink the nation into believing all is well. It wants to install a candidate who may never campaign, never debate, never lead. It is a betrayal of voters. It is a betrayal of Mutharika himself.
A Party Eating Itself
There is also a deeper political rot at play. The DPP is imploding. Internal factions are sharpening their knives, not for reform, but for control.
Some believe George Chaponda is the future; others still cling to the ghost of Mutharika. Yet none are speaking with courage or vision. Instead, the party has become a shell, animated by personal ambition and historical hangovers.
This is not just bad for the DPP, it is dangerous for Malawi. A weak and dishonest opposition cannot hold the ruling party accountable. It cannot contribute meaningfully to national dialogue. It leaves the nation poorer, politically and intellectually.
If there is any honour left in the DPP, it must do three things—and quickly:
- Tell the Truth About Mutharika: Be transparent. Is he fit to run? Is he even willing? The party owes the nation a clear and honest answer.
- Stop the Puppet Show: Drop the proxy games. If the candidate cannot submit nomination papers in person, withdraw him. There is still time to regroup and rebrand.
- Embrace New Leadership: Whether it is Chaponda, or another figure, find someone who is “alive”, present, and capable. The future cannot be led by those hiding behind the past.
Whether by design by the greedy ones within the party or unknowingly, the DPP is fast becoming a caricature of itself. Once a ruling giant, it is now a party of whispers, shadows, and pretense.
What we are witnessing is a crisis of conscience. A man’s body is failing, yet the party insists on dragging him around like a mascot of their own fear and disorganisation.
Enough is enough. Malawians are not fools. They see through the smoke and mirrors. The DPP must stop this tragic comedy before it turns into a national shame. Leadership is not theatre. It is a responsibility. And right now, the DPP is failing on every count.
The Mutharika story is more than the DPP, it is a national story as such the Pangolin Online is following it keenly and will provide the developments as they unfold through our Facebook page.
