Doubts over UDF, DPP electoral alliance: Atupele on spotlight after obtaining forms for presidency

There are doubts there will be an electoral alliance between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF)  for the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections as both parties have indicated they are fielding a presidential candidate.

Atupele: Gets nomination papers

DPP is fielding incumbent President Peter Mutharika, who is seeking the second and final mandatory five year term.  While UDF’s torchbearer is Atupele Muluzi, who is also Minister for Health and Population in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet.

Both Mutharika and Muluzi have collected their nomination forms from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

There has been social media speculation that DPP and UDF, currently in a working relationship in Parliament, would form an electoral alliance with Muluzi earmarked as Mutharika’s running mate. But both DPP and UDF spokespersons have dismissed the reports as baseless.

The social media was  also rife with reports of Muluzi  rejecting  the position of State Second Vice President which President Mutharika offered him as a pact for an electoral alliance between the parties in watershed May tripartite elections.

The reports claimed that UDF bargained for five Cabinet posts.

Among the agreements, DPP agreed not to contest in areas where UDF has sitting MPS in Mangochi, Machinga and Balaka districts and this did not go well with some DPP gurus including its Vice President for the Eastern Region Bright Msaka who is aspiring to be legislator for  Machinga Likwenu .

The UDF and DPP became bedfellows soon after the 2014 Tripartite Elections and Muluzi’s party further moved from the opposition to government benches in the 193-member National Assembly.

Both UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga and DPP spokesman Nicholous Dausi said  working together in Parliament is not an elections’ issue.

“The UDF party has never given any conditions to any political party, let alone DPP. When we read these stories in the media we wonder who is behind them. We suspect that there are people with ill-motives who want to bring confusion among our supporters. If indeed the story is true, why is it that it always has anonymous sources? How credible are these sources if they are not confusionists who have their own personal agendas? They are using the concept of ‘fake’ news to derail us,” Ndanga said in comments reported by The Nation.

“ As UDF, we will not be disturbed by these stories because we have our strategy and I can safely say that it is working perfectly well. We will continue to focus on our strategy and no amount of propaganda will derail us,” he added.

Meanwhile, Muluzi has been in the media spotlight after collection of nomination forms  with Ernest Thindwa, who teaches political science at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi,  saying is UDF will be on presidential ballot “it will be visible and people will see that it is still active.”

Thindwa said Muluzi has done “the right thing to collect the papers.”

But he pointed out that Muluzi  may use the nomination forms to go into a discussion of any possible alliance “on a position of strength.”

He noted that if Muluzi will contest the presidency, he will be dividing the votes in the South.

UDF, which won four presidential elections on the trot after the fall of dictator Kamuzu Banda 24 years ago, had its candidate  Atupele Muluzi on position four  in 2014 elections.

Now, the 40-year-old, who iced his ‘agenda for change’ to take a Cabinet post in the DPP administration, has become the poster face of his party’s controversial alliance with its 11-year-old offshoot.

 

He is touting a “new beginning”, disputing suggestions that by entering into a working relationship with the DPP, he sold the party; arguing he accepted to help run the country because he wanted unity and development.

 

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Grace Mwenda
Grace Mwenda
5 years ago

I don’t have sympathy for Muluzi`s and their personal UDF. If Malawi is having problems now politically it is because of Bakili Muluzi who because of his greed did not want to hand the leadership to people who helped to build UDF, the likes of Justin Malewezi, Aleke Banda, Patrick Mbewe, Brown Mpinganjira, Sam Mpasu who by that time were qualified to take over but did not because Muluzi wanted to continue ruling hence picking a stranger in Bingu. This nepotism we are complaining started with Muluzi that time, so let them dance the music because politically I don’t see… Read more »

Chilungamo
Chilungamo
5 years ago

ATAMBWALI SAMETANA!!!
That’s the problem of being crooks and greedy. Mukuopana mutha kuphanopo for maudindo. Kuopa tit for tat.
Tikamanena kuti ndale za nepotism and tribalism sizabwino siizi!!! Pano ma territory ayamba kuchepa, kuvutatu. Kenako lhomwe belt will split into 2, already there camps
Shame!

Gulukunyinda
Gulukunyinda
5 years ago

I used to respect Atupele but hay!. The father has destroyed this young man. Unfortunately, he doesnot realise that his father is in injury time. Atu is not yet 40. I weep!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alamu Pumani Mwakula kuba

Dpp should know that the relationship between the two is diabolical. Dpp wants to eliminate udf from Mangochi, Machinga and Balaka. At the same time udf wants power back by making Atupele running mate. They know that Alamu Pumani Mwakalamba is nearing the end of his life and should he die in office Atupele would be president just the way JB became president. The two parties don’t trust each other.

Zainabu Yusufu
Zainabu Yusufu
5 years ago

UDF won only three times and not four

Kaguta
Kaguta
5 years ago

If truth be told, the only chance DPP has to retain power is by pairing with UDF . If they read too much into the IPOR survey that they are front runners at 27%, they will be in for a shocker. Part of that 27% was on account of the fact that Atupele had not yet presented himself as a potential candidate. As a result, most of his loyalists showed support to APM candidacy based upon an anticipated working relationship. APM is caught between a rock and a hard surface. For most DPP gurus, taking Atupele as runningmate would mean… Read more »

Backbencher
Backbencher
5 years ago
Reply to  Kaguta

I agree with you Kaguta, Mutharika is in big dilema its either they partner with Atupele and win the elections or leave him and let Chakwera take the mantle of power. Very very tricky indeed

Big
Big
5 years ago

UDF inatha ngati ma curtain, momwe ananela a Bakili Muluzi

Katakwe
5 years ago

Atu has collected nomination papers to fool other opposition parties. He will eventually form an alliance with DPP. If he insists to contest as President, threats of getting his father back to court for theft will resurface and the young man will be sidelined, but will never be left out of cabinet for fear of angering the Yaos who may retaliate by punishing DPP in the whole Yao belt.

Mbwiyembwiye
Mbwiyembwiye
5 years ago
Reply to  Katakwe

SURELY TO FOOL THE KAGUTAS! KKKKKK WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS KIND OF REASONING? FOLLOW KAMLEPO – LONG TIME FORESEER AND INDEED SOOTHSAYER!!!!!!!! DPP 2024 WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! UDF 2034 WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UDF HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1994 ONLY CHANGED COLOUR TO BLUE AND MAINTAINED YELLOW IN THIN LINE TO FOOL THEM!!!!!!!! REMEMBER, WE COUSINS!KKKKKKKKK READ THE WRITINGS ON THE WALL!!!!!! MUMUUZE ABAKONGOLA NDALAMA ZA KAMPENIZO KOMA MABENEFIT AKE ONSE ADZATHERA KUBWEZA NGONGOLE!!! OVER CONFIDENCE ADZAFANAYO SALIMA!!!!

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