Aford aspiring candidates hit at Chihana over party candidacy

Some Alliance for Democracy (Aford) aspiring candidates are accusing their party leader of keeping them in the dark as to who will be the torch bearers for the party in the forthcoming tripartite elections.

This was after the party said it would not hold party primaries but will instead identify candidates who will represent the party during the parliamentary and Local government elections.

Lloyd Mwaungulu told Nyasa Times that there is low morale and anxiety in the party following party leader Enoch Chihana’s decision to cancel primary elections.

“He has put us in a fix. We do not know who will be picked for the candidacy yet he is not addressing us. Time is racing against us because we are supposed to hand over nomination papers to Malawi Electoral Commission early February,” he said.

Another person, who identified herself as Mrs. Mwafulirwa faulted the decision by Chihana to cancel party primaries, saying this was against the very same democratic principles Aford was founded by democracy icon Chakufwa Chihana.

“Aford should be the last party to do such an undemocratic thing. His father (Chakufwa Chihana) should be turning in his grave with rage. The father made the party a fully-fledged democratic institution but Enoch has destroyed all that,” she said.

She also faulted Chihana for what she called unilateral decision to drag Aford into an alliance with Peoples Party without the authority of the national executive council.

“He has dragged Aford into an alliance with PP. Now PP is looking for an alliance with another party, this is shameful. He could have done better if he had consulted first,” she said.

Chihana could not be reached for comment but Aford spokesperson Khumbo Mwaungulu, in an earlier interview, confirmed that the primary elections had been cancelled and that Aford was now in an alliance with PP.

He said Chihana will not be standing as a presidential candidate in the highly contentious elections to pave way for Joyce Banda, the leader of PP.

Banda said early this week her party would be seeking an alliance with any other party and that she was not seeking the presidency but to ensure that the opposition win the election.

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