Aford-UTM electoral courtship intact — Chihana

Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) says its electoral working alliance with UTM ahead of the May 21 tripartite polls is still intact despite their counterparts—People’s Party (PP) and Tikonze Alliance—pulling out of the same.

PP’s president Joyce Banda announced to have withdrawn from the UTM-PP alliance citing that UTM “failed to comply with the terms of agreement and the spirit of solidarity”, according to a statement signed by the party’s national publicist Ackson Kalaile Banda.

Hours later former state vice president and Tikonze Alliance leader, Cassim Chilumpha, also announced not being part of the alliance—also citing flaws in the manner the discussions were being conducted.

According to Chilumpha,  one of the issues that became contentious was that of running-mate.

“That is why I did not sign the agreement,” said Chilumpha, who also said the Tikonze Alliance will be presenting their nomination papers on Thursday.

But AFORD president, Enoch Chihana, told Nyasa Times  Monday evening that his party was proceeding with the alliance.

“We are proceeding. AFORD is an independent party; and, therefore does not have to go the way other parties go. We are still in an alliance with UTM,” said Chihana.

He said the party’s national executive council (NEC) has given him the mandate to proceed with the alliance and that he would not go against NEC resolutions.

“It does not mean that we have dissolved AFORD; rather, we have endorsed [Saulos] Chilima as our presidential candidate on the ballot come May 21,” he said.

Meanwhile, all the major competing parties, including the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), are still mum on the subject of a running-mate.