Ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary-General Eisenhower Mkaka has issued a directive to all the party members that no one should meet President Lazarus Chakwera without his approval.

The directive appears to lend credence to allegations that there is a gang of embattled senior members in MCP that has been remotely controlling an indecisive Chakwera.

Mkaka has, with immediate effect, introduced a new policy requiring party members to go through him in order to secure an appointment with Chakwera who is also MCP president.

“I would like to inform all NEC members that in terms of acceptable protocol, all requests to meet His Excellency the State President must be routed through my office for orderly arrangements to avoid duplications. This also applies to all non-NEC members of the Party,” reads the party of an internal memo dated 10 March 2022, signed by Mkaka and addressed to all NEC members.

However, some MCP members have condemned Mkaka over the new policy saying the Secretary-General wants to frustrate party members.

Speaking to the local media Spokesperson for MCP’s Concerned Members, Alex Major describes the memo as mediocrity at its best; arguing the secretary-general has no constitutional mandate to bring a policy without consulting district chairmen.

Major explains that the President and Mkaka are acting outside their mandate; saying MCP NEC has a higher authority than the two.

“This memo shows that the President has no interest with the party hence he may wish to resign as the President,” said Major.

Adds Major: “Dr. Kamuzu Banda, the Ngwazi and Dr. Chakwera both have doubled as Presidents of the party and the country but Kamuzu never did this nonsense.”

MCP spokesperson Maurice Munthali is yet to comment on the development.