Atupele ‘confident’ of Mutharika re-election as Malawi president

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance running mate Atupele Muluzi has said he was “very confident” that President Peter Mutharika is heading for re-election in next Tuesday’s fresh elections.

Mutharika’s running mate in the election said in Zomba on Tuesday during awhistle stop campaign meetings that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) will continue its losing streak in elections since the country adopted multiparty democracy.

“Let the opposition now take care, the will of the people will prevail in the ballot and Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is winning again,” said Atupele.

He said since campaign started, he has been through out engaging the electorate and it is clear the support on the ground for DPP-UDF has been energised to vote for Mutharika and seal electoral victory.

“We are indeed a fired up, fuelled and fast-moving train. DPP-UDF are in for electoral victory,” he said.

It was a massive atmosphere as thousands lined up along the roads in Zomba at areas of  Chinsewu, Namadidi and Ntonya to listen to Atupele.

His  first stop at Chinsewu trading centre in Zomba Lisanjala constituency , was attended by Minister of Education Dr Susuwele Banda the MP for the area and he assured that the whole area has agreed to vote for Mutharika.

In his address,   UDF leader, who is son to former president Bakili Muluzi,  urged the people  to vote for Mutharika, saying he is the person Malawi needs to develop.

He  also said Mutharika deserves the votes because he is “the most patient person” he had ever seen in the past 10 years when the country faced post-election protests, some of which turned ugly orchestrated by opposition parties.

DPP and UDF formed an electoral alliance to in a bid to garner votes following Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal’s interpretation of majority as 50-percent-plus-one vote in the presidential election.

Malawians are set to elect a President on June 23 following decisions by the High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court and the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal which upheld the lower court judgement that nullified the May 21 2019 presidential election over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system.

The judgement followed a petition filed by the country’s estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima—who contested in the race as UTM Party torchbearer—and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera.

Chakwera and Chilima have since partnered in a nine-party Tonse Alliance as presidential candidate and running mate, respectively.

In the nullified presidential election, Atupele finished fourth with 235 164 votes or 4.67 percent while Mutharika polled 1 940 709 votes (38.57 percent). On the other hand, Chakwera had 1 781 740 votes (35.41 percent) and Chilima—making his debut on the presidential ballot—finished third with 1 018 369 votes or 20.24 percent.

The third candidate in the fresh poll, Peter Kuwani of Mbakuwaku Movement for Development was fifth with 20 369 votes, representing 0.40 percent.