Chakwera upbeat Joyce Banda boosts MCP victory bid: To build new Malawi
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate, Dr Lazarus Chakwera appeared upbeat of winning the May 21 presidential race when he and former president Joyce Banda on Monday confirmed an electoral alliance of MCP and People’s Party (PP).
Banda withdrew from the presidential race in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections and instead endorsed Chakwera of MCP.
Political analysts have pointed out that a possible coalition could prove a formidable force in the elections if the parties involved do proper ground work.
Chakwera said for the country to develop, there is need for all people, irrespective of political affiliations, to work together for the betterment of the nation.
He a pointed out that the task of uniting the nation under a common vision to “build a new Malawi “enjoyed by everyone cannot be accomplished if Banda and a million plus one supporters of her are not part of it.
Chakwera said government is so broken and the plight of its citizens is so desperate that lasting healing can only come if the cure is administered by more than one physician.
“Malawi is a patient in critical condition with multiple vital organs of the state failing, requiring emergency surgical procedures to be carried out by different hands working together in concert to stop her bleeding and alleviate her suffering,” said Chakwera.
The MCP-PP-Freedom Part flag bearer said Malawi is not in its current mess because MCP was in government for 30 years, or because UDF was in government for 10 years, or because PP was in government for 2 years, or because DPP has been in government for 13 years.
“Rather, Malawi is in crisis because each administration has tried to remove the government dysfunctions created under multiple administrations without getting all hands on deck.
“But the time has now come for us to accept two realities: first that each party in Malawi has contributed to the failing condition of the state and secondly, that each party in Malawi and each region in Malawi must be part of the solution and cure,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera said MCP-FP-PP alliance is not merely an electoral combination, but a nation-building alliance, committed to working together to create a capable democratic developmental state that is not at the mercy of the abuse and excess of a single party.
“This is the beginning of a long awaited national repentance, in which all of us take responsibility for stopping the bad we’ve done or starting the good we’ve neglected to do to our nation and each other,” he said.
The MCP and PP coalition comes just a month after Joyce Banda dumped UTM Party barely 48 hours after agreeing to work together in the run up to the elections.
However, Banda said her party has not signed any memorandum of understanding with UTM and that it has now agreed a “better deal” with MCP by signing a pact.
MCP president has been trying to broaden the appeal of a party that traditionally relied on the support of Central Region since he replaced John Zenus Ungapake Tembo.
The MCP has steadily grown and broadened its support base and making in roads in populous Southern Region since it welcomed Sidik Mia, now the party vice president.
Mutharika , 79, will be hoping to win back the support of DPP voters who switched to the UTM aftera breakaway of some of its key members. He is tipped as front runner for a second and final term as per the Constitution.
During the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections, President Mutharika—standing on the DPP ticket with Saulos Chilima as his running mate on the ballot paper—won with 1 904 99 votes, representing 36.4 percent while Chakwera polled 27.8 percent, having amassed 1 455 880. Joyce Banda (PP), then an incumbent who had ascended to the presidency in line with constitutional order in April 2012, finished a distant third with 1 056 236 votes or 20.2 percent.
In terms of parliamentary representation, during the 2014 elections DPP won 50 seats, MCP 48, PP 26 and independents 52. Erstwhile governing UDF won 14 seats with Aford and the now-defunct Chipani Cha Pfuko getting one seat each.
But a recent survey conducted by the Zomba-based Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) between August and September this year has showed that DPP would have a slender edge over MCP if elections were held now while Chilima’s UTM—which was weeks old at the time of the survey—was rated third most popular ahead of next year’s elections.
Respondents to the study gave DPP 33 percent of the vote, MCP 31 percent and UTM 17 percent while PP got six percent rating.
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Atupele, I am sure you’re strategizing on how to join the MCP-FP-PP alliance so that together we now should make the MCP-FP-PP-UDF alliance! Tchaya Atupele tchayaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Yes, lets add more corruption to the alliance.
It seems someone is dreaming here! May you wake up before it is over.
When you are desperate, searching votes, you end up destroying the foundation you have prepared for four years by marrying cash gate queen. kkkkkkkkk
True. MCP forget my vote. Joyce munthu wokakala moyo, woipa, wodana ndi azimai anzake, akufuna womuteteza ku zakwaipa anachita iye.
Ter are a lot of positives in this alliance tn negatives and y all this fuss only now wn JB has decided to endorse chakwera? I thought even the Dpp n utm are in alliance with other parties. Just accept that this is an unstoppable force n is making u sleepless
Tell them more Joovido………………. don’t forget zimawatengela nthawi kuti amve!
The following questions need reflection:
1. How many MCP supporters will leave Chakwera because of Banda’s endorsement? Go and count. And most of those supporters are not here on social media.
2. How many of Banda’s supporters will join UTM because of Banda’s endorsement of Chakwera? Chilima’s main support is in the north, about 30-35% of the northeren vote. Do you know why? Go ask them. Banda’s endorsement will change the dynamics; most northerners now think Chakwera has a real chance of ousting DPP from power and will switch to Chakwera who was number 2 in terms of northern support before Banda’s endorsement.
3. How many of Banda’s supporters across the country will join DPP? Remember, DPP ousted PP from power. Do you think most of these supporters will switch to DPP? OR to UTM? or UDF? First analyse where Banda’s support came from in 2014 and why? Banda did very well in the north apart from Chitipa, she won Nkhotakota, Kasungu North and North East, Did well in parts of Mchinji, really well in Machinga and Zomba. She collected votes from across the country particularly in rural areas. Do you think these voters will disappea suddenly?
4. Do you think MCP and PP alliance is similar to MCP/UDF alliance of 2009? No. Why? In 2009, Bingu had performed exceptionally well giving opposition no chance. Also, that alliance came about because Bakili had failed to bounce back after hiring the famed 22 lawyers. Bingu2had suffered alot in Parliament through sec 65 number one, budget number 2 discourse. Bingu won because of his performance and people’s sympathy. None of the above factors exist today. Peter is a miserable non-performer and sympathy vote is long gone with Bingu. Peter now relies on a tribal vote which has shrunk to Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu and parts of Zomba. He has lost monopoly of Chikwawa, Nsanje, Ntheu, Mwanza, Neno in the south (Ntheu always votes with south).
5. Do you think southerners have never voted for MCP since 1994? MCP won Mangochi, Machinga, Balaka, lots in Zomba, in short, MCP won the Yao/Muslim vote during the MCP/UDF alliance in 2009. So, don’t be cheated that Southerners hate MCP, depends on what is at stake.
6. Wiĺl Muslims settle for a not- guaranteed second vice Presidency through Atupele’s endorsement of DPP or will Muslims settle for the guaranteed and constitutionally protected vice Presidency through Mia?
7. The cashgate question: DPP’s failure to arrest Banda upon arrival from her self-imposed exile has taken the shine off the cashgate issue as a campaign tool. Her supporters have concluded that she was just being persecuted. AND remember that Bakili’s support among his supporters is intact despite the court cases. VOTERS DONT VOTE FOR ANGELS, THEY VOTE FOR PEOPLE THEY SUPPORT (Bakili, Trump, etc). Therefore, questuoning MCP’s purity due to Banda’s endorsement is an academic exercise; practically, Banda adds more votes to MCP. And people raising the purity issue would never have voted for MCP in any case.
No MCP member will leave because kwabwera JB. Mind u, she is not staying in the party but rather pumping in more votes to Chakwera. Amene anali osakhazikika mu MCP anachoka kale and mphekesera zikumveka kuti awo adawatumawo sanawalipirenso kkkkkkkkkk….. shame!
Chakwera or no Chakwera MCP will never be voted into power for its brutal murders of the Malawian people in the history of our independence due to the fact that no independence Parties of Africa have been voted into power once they are out.It is foolhardy for the opportunistic Chakwera to believe that Malawians whom the MCP Killed and tortured in Maula and Ndzeleka notorious death CAMPS,will ever voted into powerTheir spirits and souls are still fighting those who cut-short of their dear life.It is for loose nicompoops like the Chakweras,Mias and J.Banda to believe that.Malawians are tired of the Muthalikas and Bandas for they are waiting for new blood and brains like the CHILIMAS AND USIS.Chakwera does not even feel ashamed for abandoning GOD and JESUS who created and defend him throughout his life.On behalf of my brothers and sisters in diaspora,we pray for UTM and its leaders to enter into government without difficulties or hassles.Malawian brothers and sisters have you forgotten so soon the treatments meted to us under Banda’s inhuman leadership? Have you forgotten the massacres of our JEHOVA WITNESSES for refusing to pray to Banda the GOD of the MCP? MALAWIANS,if we did not learn from Banda’s brutal rule,then only SATAN,can lead us.
Just wait for may 21 Mr. you will certainly receive your shocker
My brother I personally n my family wer one of those who suffered during the one party system. However looking at the dynamics of politics now and ter agendas, I strongly feel that MCP is reformed and stands a better chance of winning this coming elections. Musova
That’s your mental problem. MCP is not human. Its an institution. Members who were murdering people are all in DPP.
That is your problem.
Ndi zakale izo.
JB WEIGHT ON MCP HAS MORE ADVANVATAGES THAN DISADVANTAGES…..MCP DOES NOT NEED A MILLIONN VOTES FROM PP FOR IT TO WIN THESE ELECTIONS AND IF JB CAN ONLY CONTRIBUTE 200,000 VOTES TO CHAKWERA, MCP WILL BE FAR MUCH ABOVE EVERY CANDIDATE COME MAY 22……….SO WHETHER SOME PP SUPPORTERS WILL NOT VOTE FOR CHAKWERA……BUT ANY SLIGHT FRACTION FROM PP TO VOTE FOR CHAKWERA WILL MAKE HIM RISE FAR MUCH ABOVE EVERY CANDIDATE IN THE WEE HOURS OF MAY 22..
Analyst, if you are agreeing that Chakwera can be a hypocrite by doing the oppositite of what he has promised in the MCP manifesto then we are better of with DPP. Chakwera CANNOT fight corruption whilst working with corrupt people and thieves. His argument that he would run a clean government which will be led by servant leadership is a TOTAL lie. Getting Joyce Banda and PP has just cancelled the notion that MCP will build a NEW Malawi.
You have no proof brother, If indeed JB is corrupt arrest her now DPP is in control of government machinery. Why is DPP failing to arrest her now, the answer is simple she has no case to answer. Using corruption or trying to categorize JB as a thief is just another lie from DPP. ngoooo zakuvutani DPP and the team are the ones who corrupt and murders, just wait when start dealing with you once we take charge.
If mcp can win, chakweras first job would be to arrest all of his NEC members because they were all involved in the joyce banda cashgate regime
Why Chakwera why? Your manifesto talks about fighting corruption and now you have Chief CASHGATER Joyce Banda, who with her cohorts, stole so much money – from Capital Hill in broad day light, sold our plane to the mafia, bought rotten maize. Donors pulled out because her PP government was corrupt. She corruptly bought so many cows from Mia supposedly to give to poor people. PP thieves are now running MCP. Big BLUNDER. HUGE!
Awa ndi mau anamalira omwe adzadzidwa ndi mantha……kkkkkk
Khadeti wafiira maso kkkkkk
This is just a look-down on mcp. Even DPP now is keeping Change Golo and many others from PP, and the same words words were not said when the same PP made a 48 hr alliance with UTM, it just shows that this one with mcp is dangerous to both dpp and utm whether one likes it or not.
Tell DPP to arrest all cashgaters! if they are not arrested then DPP is a failure. UTM once accepted PP what was your response, Lets not be jelousy of MCP, just go and sell your manifesto, what will you do when people vote for your party. Infact, when you do campain you need other party’s supporters to vote for you. Will you say dont vote for me bcz you are a member of MCP? not at all. You want votes as MCP want votes from PP, DPP, UTM etc. What will judge is Rule of Law!!!!!!!!!!!
DPP ikutenganso boma
hahahahah man mwanama
This game is plainly showing DPP retaining power
Honestly just by bringing JB in mwandikhumudwitsa..
Wanyula..you hv lost vote ya ine
The worst decision ever I would rather for DPP now
Chakwera has completely undone whatever effort he has been trying to do in rebuilding the MCP brand. With PP the MCP now has become the official defenders of corruption. Its a shame, very sad.
What about those PP members joining hands to vote for MCP are they cashgaters? Mukuoneka mwakwiya nayo deal iyi amwene