Atupele tells Mangochi rallies ‘Malawi needs agenda for change’
United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Atupele Muluzi visited Mangochi East constituency apparently in his last bid to mobilize people to register in the on-going voter registration exercise where he told thousands of enthusiastic supporters that the UDF party is ready to govern Malawi with a clear agenda and vision that is now been made public.
Mangochi East constituency belongs to UDF longest serving legislator Abubakar M’baya who also the party Regional Governor for the Eastern Region, that covers Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga and Zomba.
Atupele, as he likes to be called, was schedule to address three meeting at Maleta, Kwizombe and TA katuli headquarters, but was forced to address more as people who were supported by chiefs gathered at every village and trading centre asking him to address them.
Traveling a 98 kilometer distance of a dusty road with several stops from the boma, the UDF leader was not able to arrive at TA Katuli headquarters, the last venue of the meeting in time as he only arrived at around 5:30.
“You don’t run a government without a clear agenda. The new UDF knows its agenda and what it intends to achieve once in power. We are going public with our agenda so that the people Malawi can make an informed decision in 2014,” he said.
“We intend to do three things. Firstly, to create jobs and wealth for all Malawians, especially the youth. Secondly, we will protect our poor and vulnerable and thirdly we will, ensure that the public purse works for all Malawians,” he said.
In order to come up with good policies that will bring real transformation to the economy and society, the UDF leader told the gathering that the party has organized a policy conference to be held in Lilongwe this month where the party will engage Malawians from various spheres of life to an honest and robust dialogue on how the UDF intends to deliver on the three things it has set out to do once in government.
This process he said will lead into the formulation of the UDF party manifesto for the 2014 tripartite elections.
He repeated his earlier stance that lack of transparency and accountability on the part of those that are governing the country is a disease the country should deal with order to create a society where transparency and accountability becomes part of the culture.
“There is a lot of secrecy in the way the executive is handling public affairs and that should not be allowed to continue,”said Atupele who resigned as Economic Planning Minister.
The UDF 2014 torch bearer advised incumbent leader Joyce Banda to declare her assets in an open and transparent manner, saying that that doing so will make her a Stateswoman and remove the perception that “she is hiding something”.
Atupele also urged the people to register in the ongoing voters registration exercise so that they can vote for leaders of their choice in the 2014 elections.
The UDF leader is scheduled to hold similar meetings in Dedza and Ntcheu districts next week.
