Chilima says time to end political dynasties: ‘Malawi not meant to be governed by few families’

State vice-president and UTM Party presidential candidate Saulos Chilima has said time has come to end the cycle of electing candidates from political dynasties as they seek fundamental change

.Chilima said this  during the first presidential debate  in Lilongwe on Friday when tried to convince Malawians to choose him as the next President in the May 21 general elections.

The UTM leader reminded Malawians that 2019 polls are an opportunity to show the world that Malawi is not only meant to be governed by few families.

Chilima is a knonw anti-political dynasty as he is reported to have rejected a political alliance with former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) following a proposal that he should pick Banda’s son Roy Kachale as his running mate.

On Friday, Chilima directed his talk  to Atupele Muluzi the president of United Democratic Front (UDF),  a son of former Head of State Bakili Muluzi, who is President Peter Mutharika’s Minister of Health.

In extension, President Mutharika inherited Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership from his late brother former president Bingu wa Mutharika.

As part of his transformation agenda, Chilima argues that concentration of power, one aspect of which is the proliferation of dynasties leads to under-ambition, underdevelopment, outright corruption in some places and impunity in many other places.

Chilima wants fundamental change that actually gives citizen much more voice, not necessarily to political clans, political families that have forced Malawi into a dire situation of  inequality and a degree of unfairness .

The debate which had several themes including agriculture, corruption, education and health was followed by millions of Malawians on radio, television  and social media platforms.

From the outset, Chilima clearly showed that he went to the debate with one goal; to articulate UTM’s agenda for the country. He was focused, clear and answered the moderator Grace Malera’s questions with so much ease.

Observors said the contents of his answers were well structured and left everyone listening with satisfaction. Chilima was so presidential and showed that he understood the seriousness of the occasion.

Chilima expressed optimism that his articulation of policies was enough to win the watching public.