Mutharika predicts big win in Malawi 2019 watershed elections: ‘It’s operation landslide victory’

President Peter Mutharika,  who is seeking re-election, was on Monday in campaign mood in Zomba when he told the opposition that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would crash them and he is confident  to win another five-year term in next year’s watershed Tripartite elections.

Mutharika, who is shepherding Malawi  through economic growth from the the time he inherited emptry coffers after donor freeze and Cashgate scandal,  told a rally at   Pirimiti Boys Primary School ground, Jali in  Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba that the DPP is set for a landslide victory and the opposition should count them losers for the much contested 2019 general election.

“We will crash them to pieces, we will stamp our feet on them,” said Mutharika who aid the 2019 DPP campaign would be dubbed ‘Operation landslide.’

However, Mutharika did not comment on the DPP  secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey who intimidated some civil servants whom she said would be dealt with in 2019 after the election for allegedly sabotaging Mutharika’s development agenda.

She also warned some journalists whom she said write negatives about Mutharika and the DPP.

Mutharika, who described the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP)  as Malawi Propaganda Party, said the DPP did not fear the Lazarus Chakwera led party, saying they are set to lose the 2019 polls.

The 2019 presidential polls is highly contested between Mutharika and Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition and the outcome is unpredictable just a year before the election as both Mutharika’s DPP and Chakwera’s MCP are geared in electioneering and the political atmosphere remains tense.

Mutharika said the DPP has managed to achieve most of its campaign promises of 2014 which include the reduction of the inflation, the stability of the kwacha and said the government has achieved the economic fundamentals.

He also assured the people that as long as he is alive and leader of the nation, no one will die of hunger, saying the government has enough maize stocks in its grain reserves.

“No one will die of hunger. Government has reserved enough maize from last year’s harvest to cushion people from such uncertainties during lean period,” Mutharika said.

Over 240, 000 metric tonnes of maize is readily available in grain reserves of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) and the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc), according to Mutharika.
The President took time to name each development program achievement one by one and what his government intends to do after winning the 2019 elections.

“We have lined up a number of development activities in the transport, education and health sectors as well as other social protection programmes,” Mutharika said.

The President also highlighted the achievements made in the energy sector through the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP) Phase 8.

Over 336 centres have already been connected under this phase and the initiative is expected to spread to all 193 constituencies in the country, the president said.

“We want all strategic trading centres to get connected to electricity towards sustained socio-economic growth of this country,” he added.

Other projects underway and to begin soon are mainly in the road infrastructure development. They include the Liwonde – Mangochi Road, the Chingale – Lirangwe Road, the Zomba – Jali – Phalombe Road and the Tsangano – Neno Road.

“All these efforts are meant to connect places and ease people’s mobility to social amenities,” Mutharika said.

Member of Parliament for Zomba Likangala Peter Byalani speaking earlier  commended the country leadership for their area and Zomba district in general.

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