Chakwera’s spin doctor dismisses calls to disclose details of MCP-UTM pact
President Lazarus Chakwera’s spin doctor at State House, pastor Sean Kampondeni has dismisses calls for the presidency to make public details contained in the confidential agreement between Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM Party of State vice-president Saulos Chilima.
MCP and UTM Party are two key partners in the Tonse Alliance and together managed to win the June 23 court sanctioned fresh presidential election.
Chilima is on record to have said publicly he will take over from Chakwera in tune with the rotational presidency pact.
But Chakwera, days later, came back with a response on Times Television that nothing regarding what Chilima had earlier said had been agreed upon.
MCP cadres have also vehemently argued that they would not swallow the one-term president issue.
Kampondeni, who is State House director of communications, said during the second in a series of newly-introduced weekly State House briefings at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Monday that President Chakwera was committed to the agreement.
He described the calls for disclosure a distraction to the governing coalition’s agenda.
“The President has answered the question before. The President says what matters to him is that there is an agreement and the agreement is about delivering to Malawians the transformation he promises.
“The rest of the issues is not something the President would want to distract him,” said Kampondeni, who is also Chakwera’s son-in-law.
Observers say, Chakwera and Chilima, as leaders, aren’t respecting their followers by not committing to a shared duty of divulging the needed details of their deal.
Chilima, and his technocratic allies, has been working on reforms to the public sector, while Chakwera has been concentrating on maintaining public support.
But each man’s supporters claim they are undermining each other.
Chakwera himself has indicated that it is too early to talk of 2025, only saying he is sure he will not run for a third term.
Meanwhile, the MCP and UTM are both increasing their parliamentary numbers thanks to defections from DPP and the United Democratic Front (UDF). The two coalition partners will compete with each other at November 10 five parliamentary bye-elections .
Commentators fear that if President and vice-president campaign against each other, they will dash the hopes of a long-term merger between Chakwera’s MCP and Chilima’s UTM.
They argue that the only way this can come to an end is through being transparent: Tonse Alliance leadership must come out of the cocoon and share with the public the contents of their deal.
On whether President Chakwera would consider voluntary disclosure of party financiers, Kampondeni said: “The question on voluntary disclosure is subject to the decision of Executive Committee of Malawi Congress Party.”
On the party financiers, Kampondeni said “the President has promised that he is going to favour or shield nobody.”
He said the President is committed to ensuring that “the law is followed because he campaigned on rule of law.”
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If skc really wants to succeed Laz after two terms assuming Laz wins the second term, then skc need to dissolve utm and merge with mcp now. Skc to be vice to Laz within mcp, replacing Mia.
On the current agreement between mcp and utm, surely the agreement should be a public document, nothing to hide. Am surprised it hasn’t been leaked up to this time.
I see no relevance in utm’s existence on its own. It can’t win especially if dpp bounces back as credible opposition. Skc cant join dpp, a party which kicked him out.
2025 will be interesting year to MCP and UTM
Vuto lathu a Malawi si alliance, party donors president wa 2025 kapena MOU ya Alliance. Vuto lathu inali DPP. Yachoka m’boma kwatsala tiyinyenye nyenye itheretu.
Koma anthu enanu mmaganiza DPP izalowanso m’boma yesu asanabwere? Mukuzinyengatu
But if MCP will stand on its own, that is without UTM, then i don’t think they can win. Central Region yokha???? ah kaya. Paja Northern Region yipita kumene kupita Chilima. To say the truth, Tumbukas are never friends of Wachewa. Zidani zawo ndizakale kale.
This court induced alliance cannot hold. If the judges were honest in the ruling they could have set all the original contestants achina reverend Kaliya should be on the ballot. And DPP ikanawinanso but without 50+1. Then kukanabwera izi za ma alliance. But DPP’s lawyers led by Kalekeni Kaphale are dunderheads.
Anawaletsa a Kaliya ndi Ras Chikomeni kuimanso ndi ndani paja? Muchira
The content ts are simple. They agreed to assassinate all alliance partners. They agreed that they will be using Chimwendo Banda to steal from Indians. They agreed to kill whoever will show potential to be leader. They agreed to make sure that they abolish all political parties.
‘Voluntary’ disclosure of party donors??
Why on earth should it be voluntary?
In the interests of transparency and trustworthy elections and governance, all registered political parties should be obliged to disclose all their donors and other financial and organisational details.
This is the same for any company or NGO.
Their accounts must be audited and submitted to the Malawi Electoral Commission or other independent body.
This is critical to build a stronger and more honest democracy.
One can only hope..
As SKC has publicly said the MCP – UTM Agreement is for SKC to be VP, Minister of Finance and for Talk Talk Chakwera to stand down in 2025 to enable SKC to stand, let’s believe SKC.
User lie
In this chaos, and I mean there’s plenty, can I make money?
Kodi ATI bill ija only applies to Govt and not zipani?