No party ditching after victory, Mzuzu shadow councilors say

Mzuzu ward councillors in Chibavi ward have vowed they will not dish their political parties on which they are standing for others once elected.

Chibavi ward is one of the many wards in the country in which the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will conduct by-elections after the May 2015 tripartite polls.

Speaking at a function organized by the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Friday, four contestants – George Manda of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Gibson Chisale of Alliance for Democracy (Aford),Ulaya Kaunda of Mafunde, Charles Mulogera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Esmie Jere of Umodzi Party (UP) said they would “dump their parties.”

But, the fifth, Mike C. Phiri of independent, gave a conservative response. He said he would have to “come back” to the people for their advice.

Gibson Chisale of Alliance for Democracy (Aford), one of those who said he would never leave the party, said “there was no reason to dump Aford” because all “development programmes are discussed at council level.”

Esmie Jere of UP said “what for?”

Almost all the contestants, promised development projects in the areas of education, youth, child welfare, water and agriculture.

In Malawi party ditching is the order of the day. Once elected, leaders dump their political parties for the ruling party.

Last weekend, DPP regional governor for the North branded opposition failures, saying people “must vote for DPP or forget about development.”