Member of Parliament (MP) for Blantyre Rural East Henry Phoya has disclosed that he is receiving pressure from his sympathisers across the country to form a new party following his firing from the ruling DPP. The National Governing Council (NGC) of the ruling party, which met on July 17 this year resolved Phoya’s expulsion alongside Thyolo Thava legislator Lifred Nawena, Mzimba South MP Paul Shaba and Zomba Changalume lawmaker Grace Maseko.

The former chairperson of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee was alleged to have led a rebellion against the infamous Injunctions Bill now assented into law by President Bingu wa Mutharika despite a court injunction restraining him to do so. Some commentators say he was expelled because he rejected to endorse Bingu’s kid brother, Peter Mutharika, for the DPP presidential candidature for 2014 general elections. In an exclusive interview on Friday, Phoya said since he was fired from DPP, different people have approached him on the possibility of forming a new party. “Having been fired from DPP, I’m trying to get used to my new status as an independent politician. I’m not in a hurry to change that status,” he said when asked if he was considering forming a party.