Mutharika brands Chakwera ‘liar’ over inter-party diplomacy initiative
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Peter Mutharika is on a collision course with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera over claims by the later that they had talked about the need to curb political violence ahead of May 20 elections.
After the violence that cost lives of a police officer and a civilian in Thyolo, Chakwera asked for an audience with President Joyce Banda where he claimed they discussed about the need to curb political violence and also told journalists that he had reached out to Mutharika to discuss on the same.
President Banda blames Mutharika for the violence.
After DPP gurus dismissed last week that Chakwera did not speak to Mutharika about the issue, the DPP torch bearer himself has said he has not had talks with MCP president, branding him a liar.
Mutharika said he had never been contacted by Chakwera, and was in the dark about any inter-party diplomacy initiative being spearheaded by the MCP president.
“Rev. Chakwera did not say the truth when he said he had talked to me after the Goliati incident,” Mutharika said on Sunday as quoted by the press.
“The last time I talked to him was when he was elected MCP president. I called him to congratulate him; that’s all. We have not talked since then and it is not true that he has talked to me,” Mutharika said.
President Banda said Mutharika’s led DPP caused the violence in Thyolo.
But Mutharika has demanded an “apology” from the President, saying the violence that occurred at Goliati was unacceptable.
