Callista, Phoya win UTM primaries:  Masangwi, Kaliati, Lucius, went unopposed

The  former first lady Callista Mutharika’s whose  leaked WhatsApp message supporting Vice-President Saulos Chilima  brought political Tsunami in ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with some key members openly warning  President Peter Mutharika to seriously reconsider his position in light of the May 21 elections and then ‘Chilima Movement’ was born – now UTM party-  was among top brass who won primary elections on Thursday.

Callista won the primaries in Lilongwe City West constituency after she  trounced Clement Ndala.

She is a former legislator who first went to Parliament on United Democratic Front (UDF) in Zomba and then DPP.

Also winning UTM primaries was new comer former Minister of Justice Henry Phoya who dumped DPP recently.

Phoya won in Blantyre Rural East against Adamson Matemba, Lucius Chanika and Sambalikagwa Mvona.

Most of the party’s senior National Executive Committee officials were elected unopposed in the primaries, including  former national chairman Noel Masangwi who is standing in Zomba Central constituency and the party’s secretary general Patricia Kaliati to represent the party in Mulanje West constituency.

Chiradzulu North incumbent lawmaker Willet Kalonga who is UTM Party deputy organising secretary and the party’s campaign director and parliamentarian for Balaka North constituency, Lucius Banda, were also elected unopposed. Banda won the constituency in 2014 under the United Democratic Front (UDF) ticket while Kalonga won as an independent candidate.

In Blantyre South West constituency former UTM treasurer Richard Makondi also went unopposed while in Nsanje South West Constituency incumbent MP Joseph Chidanti Malunga also went unopposed.

Others who went unopposed are Mzimba North East incumbent legislator Olipa Chiluba Muyaba and candidates for Karonga Central and Chitipa Central Constituencies—Lawrence Nthakomwa and Dr. Moses Mlenga—respectively.

Political commentator Humphreys Mvula on a positive note said it was a big achievement for UTM which is new on the political scene to hold primary election

Chilima, 45, who is expected to be the party’s torchbearer in the May 21 Tripartite Elections, did not go through primaries as he is not contesting in parliamentary elections in both his Ntcheu home or Njewa in Lilongwe another home from his late father’s side.