Atupele rebuffs Chilima presidential ticket: No UDF, UTM electoral alliance

United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi has denied that he is having electoral alliance talks with UTM Party led by Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

Muluzi’s personal assistant Charles Nkozomba told Nyasa Times on Tuesday that the UDF leader, who is Minister of Health in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet, has not engaged himself or any other party officials with  UTM Party discussions and said they could not be pair  of Chilima and Muluzi on the presidential ballot in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

“There is no alliance talks between UDF and UTP or Chilima and Muluzi,” Nkozomba said.

There were speculations that UTM and UDF representatives were meeting in Lilongwe after People’s Party (PP) announced its withdrawal from the coalition with UTM, Alliance for Democracy and Tikonze People’s Movement after UTM refused to give the running mate slot to PP, according to a statement signed by PP spokesperson Ackson Kalaile Banda.

Ken Ndanga, UDF Publicity Secretary, commented on a now deleted Facebook post that UDF was not desperate as the party has what he described as working game plan.

“UDF is not as desperate as others may think. It has a game plan which is workings perfectly well,” said Ndanga.

UTM spokesperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga could not be reached on his mobile phone while the party’s secretary general Patricia Kaliati denied knowledge of the matter.

Meanwhile, Muluzi is ready to relinquish his Machinga North East parliamentary seat ahead of the legal dissolution of Parliament on March 20, according to his spokesman.

Muluzi will become the second legislator to resign to pave the way for a presidential bid after leader of opposition in Parliament and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Lazarus Chakwera announced his resignation on Sunday.

Chakwera cited Section 80 (7) (e) of the Constitution as the justification for his resignation.

Records show that in 2014, Muluzi also resigned as member of Parliament (MP) when he made his maiden presidential bid.