By Vincent Gunde

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera have filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in response to a malicious tear – gas attack against Dr. Chakwera while he was en route to attend a government – organized Kamuzu Burial place at the City Centre in Lilongwe on 14th May, 2026.

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The MCP said the incident was the culmination of a sequence of events where Dr. Chakwera was illegally denied participation in the official government event which led him to organize his own respectful, separate visit to honour founding father – Kamuzu Banda.

The statement said the MCP and Dr. Chakwera have found the acts of prevention and the subsequent dangerous assault at a solemn memorial site completely unacceptable and illegal saying the lawsuit is intended to hold both the DPP party as an entity and its leadership accountable to the actions and to protect the rule of law.

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” We emphasize that such political interference with a sitting President is a severe transgression,” reads the lawsuit in part filed by MCPs Acting National Publicity Secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma.

But, in the DPP statement released, they say Kamuzu Day event was organized by Hon. Ken Kandodo and the Kamuzu family, President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika was invited as a guest of honour and he was unable to attend, he delegated Alfred Gangata, Minister of Culture to represent the government

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The DPP statement said the decision to exclude Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and the MCP was made by Hon. Kazombo and the Kamuzu family saying government had nothing to do with it.

“The official Commemoration was conducted with dignity and was open to all Malawians, the only stipulation was a restriction on political regalia, this was a national unity not partisan contestation,” reads the DPP statement in part.

The statement further said the MCP organized a separate march without clearance from the police and the Lilongwe City Council describing this as a deliberate violation of the law and posed a risk of public disorder and desecration of the Mausoleum.

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Writing on his Facebook page, Counsel Silvester Ayuba James, said the MCP should have appreciated the boundaries in Kamuzu’s legacy between him being President of MCP and Malawi President saying as a party, they seem to be so desperate to own the legacy of Kamuzu and cling to his portrait

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Ayuba James said there was little wisdom in Dr. Lazarus Chakwera – MCP President to lead his own procession in honour of the same Kamuzu on a National Day saying there’s no holiday for MCP’s Kamuzu Banda.

” Sometimes, we fight battles that we don’t even need to start,” reads Counsel Ayuba James writings on the wall.

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And MCP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary Kenneth Chitatata Msonda has blamed President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s advisors that their aim is to finish him.before 2029 party convention the way they did in 2025.