PP, UDF trade barbs on January demonstrations
Peoples Party (PP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) have engaged in verbal tirade over former Minister of Economic Planning, Atupele Muluzi’s stand on much touted January national-wide demonstration being championed by Consumer Association of Malawi (Cama).
Muluzi who is UDF president and 2014 torchbearer last week backed the country’s citizens for evoking their constitutional rights in propagating demonstration.
CAMA is planning a demonstration against PP led-government’s failure to address the economic challenges the country is experiencing and negatively impacting on the livelihood of Malawians.
In separate interviews with Capital Radio on Monday, PP and UDF officials, Holphmary Makande and Kandi Padambo differed on Muluzi’s stand with the first accusing the presidential hopeful and UDF of funding the January demonstrations.
Makande described Muluzi as immature and childish for throwing his support on the impending demonstrations, arguing the presidential candidate has never supported PP government all along.
”Just three weeks ago John Kapito backed Atupele Muluzi as right candidate for 2014 and now the same Muluzi is supporting Kapito and the demonstrations. We now know its UDF which is funding all this.
“Kapito is getting money from Muluzi to fund demonstrations against Joyce Banda’s government. It is now clear Muluzi never support PP government,” Makande who is PP spokesman said.
Makande added: ”Atupele Muluzi comment shows he is immature and childish and cannot be trusted to rule this country. He failed to elaborate Economic Recovery Plan (EPR) which he championed as minister of economic planning and now he is backing uncalled for demonstrations against same economic recovery initiatives. We will not allow such dangerous and crime to take place in this country.”
But UDF secretary general Kandi Padambo dismissed Makande’s sentiments, arguing the PP spokesperson misunderstood Muluzi’s comment on the demonstrations. Padambo said UDF doesn’t fund nor back the demonstrations.
”Atupele Muluzi never backed the demonstrations. He only supported the need of allowing the country’s citizens to exercise their constitutional right to stage demonstrations.
“What PP is saying is just a political move to discredit our president and the party. They don’t have evidence of any kind that UDF is funding the demonstrations. All what we want is to see that people are allowed to exercise their constitutional rights without oppression from any forces,” Padambo said.
Cama Excutive Director, John Kapito is championing January demonstrations following failure by Joyce Banda administration to address economic challenges the country is facing by changing some of policies her government adopted currently influencing the rising of cost of living.
Kapito has since given government two options if the demonstrations are to be called off. He has demanded the fixing of Kwacha and minimizing of the president’s foreign and local trips due to the current status of our economy
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