Mutharika says DPP/UDF political alliance to continue: ‘Malawi first’
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and minor opposition, the United Democratic Front (UDF) will continue despite strong opposition from one member of parliament.
Mutharika said this on Saturday in Mangochi after UDF women danced for him at a function to mark the official opening of Mangochi Community College.
“We will continue with this alliance. It is only one MP who doesn’t want this alliance, he is misguided,” said Mutharika.
It was an indirect reference to Lucius Banda, a UDF member of parliament in Balaka who has constantly attacked party president Atupele Muluzi of selling his party to the DPP, saying the alliance arrangement is not benefitting ordinary UDF supporters except for Muluzi who is minister of Lands and Housing in the Mutharika cabinet.
Lucius Banda was not immediately available for comment.
However, Mutharika did not say whether the DPP and UDF will work together during the 2019 general election, on whether Muluzi will give up his contest for the presidency in support of Mutharika’s candidature.
Mutharika’s comments come at a time when the UDF is under intense pressure from supporters to pull out of the alliance in readiness for the 2019 general election.
UDF publicist Ken Ndanga said recently on FaceBook the issue would be decided by the party executive committee.
Muluzi, who attended the Mangochi function, has of late been holding rallies in Mangochi and Chikhwawa which drew large crowds.
Atupele is not in the alliance with APM under his conscience but he is being forced by his father so that he remains free from prosecution. Lucius will cry day and night and nothing will change as long as Muluzi’s is not concluded. UDF under Atupele is ready to sell the party in exchange for freedom for his father. I will rule Gambia for a billion years.
Birds of the same feathers,flock together.This political alliance would greatly enhance MCP-AFORD united front if the alliance will materialise.Who doesn’t know that DPP was born with UDF-blood.It is Bakili Muluzi who campaigned for Bingu Wa Muthalika in order to conceal his past evils.There were many brilliant and experienced leaders in UDF from whom Bakili could have appointed one instead of picking up his fellow southerner a little-known and a thief Bingu Wa Muthaliika.Bakili made another political blunder for propped-up his son Atupele while,the PP under the leadership of J.Banda struggled to survive.Meanwhile,after the shameful demise of Bingu,Peter Muthalika tookover consolidating… Read more »
it is not strange to see Atupele Muluzi working with DPP government coz he is not there to serve the interest of the supporters at all but he is there for his greed. Viva Lucious for distancing yourself from these greed thugs who are stealing from the poor. If we had 1o people like you things would have changed drastically. The other problem is that we have political prostitutes who move from one party to another coz of their greed instead of serving for the poor.
let them merge we will finish them in 2019.We dont want thieves and thugs to rule us anymore.