Analyst tells MCP-UTM alliance to name presidential candidate

A political analyst has told the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM Party alliance and its partners to come out of its cacoon and announce its presidential candidate in the Constitutional Court sanctioned presidential election on July 2.

Latim Matenje says the delays by the party to officially unveil its presidential candidate will negatively affect preparations for the polls for the alliance.

“This will have a negative impact on the alliance preparations for the elections. They need to come out in the open and tell their supporters who the presidential candidate is. This will prepare the supporters psychologically,” said Matenje.

The submission of the nomination papers will be on 23rd and 24th April which means the alliance will have to name its torchbearer by then.

MCP and UTM announced their alliance at a glittering event in Lilongwe where MCP president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM leader Saulos Chilima signed the dotted line of the agreement.

But Chakwera and Chilima avoided any indication on who will lead the alliance.

Even  details of y agreement have been kept under wraps although it is highly some speculated that Chakwera will be the torch bearer in the election.

Chancellor College political analyst Professor Happy Kayuni  also said Chakwera will likely lead the alliance in the poll because of the popularity of his party over UTM Party, which is less than two years old since its formation and has only four members of parliament unlike MCP with over 40 legislators.

The opposition alliance includes Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde), Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Freedom Party, Umodzi Party and People’s Transformation Alliance (Petra).