Aford mum on electoral alliance with PP, convention set for Aug. 23
Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) says it will work to strengthen an electoral alliance with like-minded partiessuch as the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) of Loveness Gondwe, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) and National Patriotic Front (NPF) but the party is silent on claims by its national chairman Enock Chihana that it will support ruling People’s Party presidential candidate Joyce Banda.
In a statement released following their National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting chaired by its acting president Godfrey Shawa, the party said it interested to partner with the parties that committed themselves to work under the banner of AFORD at a meeting held on 11th July, 2013 in Mzuzu “so as to offer the electorate at the 2014 Tripartite Elections a credible and formidable alternative.”
“AFORD shall continue to vigorously campaign throughout the country with a view to mobilize people to register enmase in readiness for voting in May next year,” reads a statement signed by Aford deputy spokesperson Enita Njolwa.
Aford said is set to hold its indaba on August 23 this year where among other things it will hold elections for National Executive members and the party’s president.
Minister of Sports and Youth Development, who is also Rumphi Central Parliamentarian, Enock Chihana has declared his interest to contest for Aford top post.
Meanwhile, AFORD said it is “ greatly concerned with the ever rising cost of living that the majority of our people are experiencing in their daily lives.”
The statement said Aford is “ committed to releasing a manifesto that will address most of the current challenges for socioeconomic transformation so as entrench our hard won democracy .”
Aford was founded by trade unionist Chakufwa Chihana (father to Enock Chihana) in 1992. In the 1994 general elections, the party swept all the 33 seats in northern region and three others in central region.
By the time Chakufwa Chihana died in 2006, the party had only six parliamentary seats. Currently, it has two members of parliament, Khwauli Msiska and Enock Chihana. Chihana is minister in the PP led government and has declared his support to President Banda.
