Dausi plays down Mutharika ‘tarmac road’ campaign, insists on rigging claims

Minister of Homeland Security who is also ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spoksperson, Nicholas Dausi, has parried away talk that President Peter Mutharika is only taking his campaign along tarmac roads, and not going yonder in the rural areas as his competitors are doing.

Dausi challenged Zodiak Broadcasting Station’s Tiuzeni Zoona host, Daniel Mababa, that probably he was not keenly following Mutharika’s campaign trail.

According to Dausi, DPP has the strongest campaign strategy which they are certain will catapult them to power on May 21.

“What do you mean by rural areas? He has been everywhere in Dowa, Mchinji, Ntchisi and today Nkhotakota. Tell me, is Mzinza or Nkanda in Mulanje town?” charged Dausi

The DPP publicist said the party was confident it would retain power.

“We have delivered. And Malawians want development, and they are the voters and the judges. We are not afraid because the voters know that we have delivered and will vote for us again. We will win,” said Dausi.

 Rigging Claims

On rigging claims that President Peter Mutharika has been making , the homeland security minister admitted that there was indeed “a certain party” that has plans to rig the May 21 election, but said he could not discuss security matters on air.

“That is not the way we handle government business. If I started doing that then there would be no government. We don’t run a government like that,” said Dausi.

According to Dausi, government knows those behind the malpractice.

“But if we arrest them it is you the media that will be on us again saying we are undemocratic. We will simply handle the matter in the most professional way possible,” he said.

Political analysts have warned that the rigging claims may undermine the credibility of the forthcoming elections.

On more than one occasion, President Mutharika—leading the ruling DPP— has insinuated that  his number two Saulos Chilima, who quit the DPP to lead the newly found UTM, is  planning to rig elections.

Ironically, the two were on the same ticket in 2014, when they dislodged the ruling People’s Party (PP) in a closely contested race which had the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which came second, claiming the polls were rigged.

During the launch of UTM last July, Chilima accused the DPP-led government of planning to rig the elections using some ‘spy machine’. But he has since been saying in campaign rallies that elections cannot be rigged and there will be no fraudulent polls.

MCP president Lazarus Chakwera has also asked Mutharika and Chilima to provide more information to inspire confidence in voters willing to take part in the forthcoming elections.

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