Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) backbenchers have asked the party leadership to call for a convention before July 2 to elect the leadership of the party.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Dausi, was speaking during a media briefing on the developments in the party.

Dausi said the party’s national convention will help to bring sanity in the party as it will allow people to elect candidates of their choice.

“Anything out of convention will not be allowed. No one is going to run the party if this convention will not be conducted,” he said.

Dausi further said the party should also allow people to endorse candidates of their choice without intimidation as endorsing candidates is not bad.

He accused party members for imposing the candidates citing example of DPP leader Professor Peter Mutharika who has been imposed by regional chapters of the party.

Dausi who was accompanied by DPP legislators from all four regions said they were not consulted as the party to endorse Professor Peter Mutharika as the torch bearer in 2025.

Let all candidates compete at the convention adding that the party should start preparing now because no one is going to run the business of the party after July if there will be no convention as it will illegal and unconstitutional, he said.