Atupele tells UDF rally he is keeping political wild card: ‘I have a joker for 2019 Malawi polls’
United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi has said he is ready to put his party on an election footing but is evasive on the party’s relationship with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ahead of the 2019 Tripartite Election, saying he has a political wild card close to his chest.
The young Muluzi, whose father Bakili Muluzi ruled the country between 1994 and 2004 as the first post-independence multi-party Head of State — and is Minister of Health and Population Services in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet — told a UDF rally on Sunday at Manpower ground in Balaka Central East Constituency that he is set to make the party intellectually and organisationally prepared, united and resourced for the 2019 polls.
“UDF members should not be misled or distracted by cheap propaganda against the party. In the last elections, many speculated that Atupule would not contest because they claimed I was underage. Did Atupele not appear on presidential ballot, I did,” he said.
Muluzi failed on his first attempt for State House in 2014 when he finished a distant fourth.
“UDF will be there and more stronger in 2019 than it was during the 2014 elections, Ung’ono-ung’ono can assure you,” he said.
After 2014 elections President Arthur Peter Mutharika drafted Atupele Muluzi into his Cabinet, which was followed by some sort of a working relationship between the UDF and the DPP. Muluzi has been maintained since then.
Atupele championed the Agenda for Change that appealed to the youth with its progressive policies and there was hope that the UDF could reclaim its lost glory.
But Muluzi said said it was wrong to assume that UDF was in weakening, saying: “Politics is full of changes and it is dynamic.”
Muluzi said UDF will hit the centre-ground of politics and that he is up for doing it.
“Do you know the playing cards game or porker?” Muluzi asked the thousands who gathered at the rally. “There is a wild card called joker. I have picked a political joker and am keeping it close to my chest.”
He added: “ Yes I know there are journalists here, go report that I have a joker.”
Muluzi said convention would soon be called to set the route map of the party for the future, insisting UDF was strong.
He announced that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of UDF will be meeting this week to set dates for the national convetion to be held first quarter of next year.
“We need to start thinking of ideas on how we can best make our country better in areas of education, health, economy and it is those ideas which will form the party manifesto for 2019 elections,” said Muluzi.
UDF’s strength in Parliament has been dwindling since the 2004 General Elections. From 84 seats in 177-member Parliament in the first post-independence multi-party elections in 1994 to 91 MPs in 1999 when the number of constituencies rose to 193, the party got 49 in 2004, 16 in 2009 and 15 in 2014.
Muluzi took his members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition to government benches when he was appointed in Mutharika’s Cabinet, with Lucius Banda, a former leader of the party in Parliament and Balaka North legislator, defying the move.
But speaking at the same rally, UDF ‘ former legislator and Cabinet minister Clement Stambuli who is the campaign director said the party will reclaim its strength and be great again.
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Political joker my foot. ife president tinasankha kale in the name of Dr. Chakwera. we are just waiting 2019 to come so that chongu pa tambala wakuda. Zaung’onoung’ono ndizo zikuononga maiko kuno ku Africa. look at kabira in DRC, Nkurunziza in Burundi and North Korean president. All these are in ung’onoung’ono cartigoly. So forget about the presidency. President tirinaye kale, Dr. Chakwera.
Atupele, asakunamize. Komwe uliko kulibe mbava. Tikunena pano mbava zatanganidwa kumanga nyumba ku Lilongwe cha Ku maulaku.
As to the winning and preferred party, Bushiri has already spoken.
MCP benefitted from cashgate spoils according to Lutepo and Chakwera is one such beneficiary.
This is the problem with politicians who come from areas with mostly very illiterate, populous people (who are usually raised by single mothers), (yaos, lomwes and senas). They do not care about the needs of the people, all they care about are ready votes from them. That is why we end up having accidental presidents (a better fool chosen by bad fools). As long as the Constitution remains the same, this country will never be run by the cream.
uyu Atupele waphunzira umbava weniweni mu DPP govt umu. pano ndiuyo angonamizapo ma followers ake apa!!!!!!!
My dear Atupele I know you would want to be the President of this country oneday but listen it’s very imposible now even if you have that joker in your hands believe me it’s impossible just humbly support one major party either DPP which you are in already or MCP – what am saying is this 2019 should be a WAR of DPP and MCP – LAZALOUS vs PETER full stop. The fact on the ground is this if PETER will LOSE then LAZALOUS will WIN and if LAZALOUS will LOSE then PETER will WIN. Please you SMALL & BRIEFCASE… Read more »
You are the JOKE…..si za joker zo ayi! Ndipo uyelekeze matama ochoka ku DPP. Bambo ako amangidwa……paja wa 1.7 billion ngothaitha. Kwabwera Matemba paja ku ACB.
May be he is having a reverse and joker cards so lets wait and see “he has a political wild card close to his chest”(Atupele Muluzi).”The party will reclaim its strengths and be great again”(Clement Stambuli). Lets wait and see as we are against time keep the fire burning as its not too late
Hahahaha! Kikikik! Aiyaiyaiyai! This fella is a better comedian than his father, Mr Jokes, Daliso Chaponda, late Izeki and Jakobo combined!
The ungo’no ungo’no hallmark does not give hope to to prospective voters if we look at it in a wider context. Atupele is simply demeaning himself. When you have big ambitions to become the Head of State, there is no need to to have such a shallow hallmark – think big. Ung’ono ung’ono and thinking big are incongruent. What it simply means is that Atupele is still too young to realise his dream of running this country. If he keeps saying ungo’no ungo’no, he will still remain small and completely disconnected with the electorates. It may sound fashionable, but the… Read more »
UDF? Kkkk…. inatha ngati makatani aku maofesi a boma aja amene ali kuseri kwa ESCOM ya pa Area 3.
Atupere has lost direction. Chakwera is more respected in Balaka, Machinga and Mangochi than the young Muluzi today.