DPP’s Ben Phiri says UTM presence only on Facebook: Most of its social media users are abroad, not voters

February 21, 2019 Nyasa Times Reporter 76 Comments

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) director of elections, Ben Phiri has described UTM Party led by vice-president Saulos Chilima has no structures across the country and that its presence is much on social media platforms.

Ben Phiri: DPP director of elections says UTM presence is on social media not on the grassroots

Phiri was speaking during Face the Nation interview programme aired on Rainbow TV.

He pointed out that UTM is strong on social media with more followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, higher posting frequencies, and more fan engagement (e.g. likes, comments and shares) but they have no voters with them.

“Political popularity [to win elections] is not Facebook, not Whatsapp. We don’t win elections on social media. We win on the ground with the electorate at the grassroots,” Phiri said.

He said social media data would show a different picture to polling numbers of the registered voters.

Chilima is generally seen in a more positive light by social media users but Phiri said DPP has its backing from real registered voters across the country, especially on the grassroots.

“We have voters. We have numbers. DPP is winning the elections hands down,” he said.

Phiri stressed UTM cannot win the polls because the party has no grassroots support and will lose miserably in the May 21 Tripartite Elections.

“Most people who make noise on social media in support of UTM are not in Malawi. They are not voters. They are well known noise makers and attention seekers on Facebook while staying abroad [UK, USA],” he said.

He told programme host Aubrey Kusakala that the watershed elections are a battle between oldest Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and DPP.

Phiri said DPP is very popular due to various development programmes which the Peter Mutharika administration has undertaken, branding the President as “Mr Deliverer”.

The DPP director of elections cited various developments which the party has undertaken since ushered into power in 2014.

The year after Mutharika took power in 2014, floods that wracked the southern African nation and forced more than 200,000 people from their homes and killed at least 176 were followed by drought and widespread food shortages. Rebuilding efforts were hampered by a foreign-aid freeze after a scandal during the previous administration known as Cashgate that saw as much as $33 million allegedly looted from state coffers.

But the DPP government took painful steps to stabilize the economy and the currency, the kwacha, and brought inflation down from a peak of 24 percent to a single digit.

Phiri is also aspiring parliamentary candidate for Thyolo Central Constituency and is likely to win. He recently launched K10 million football and netball trophies, the second edition of the competitions after successfully introducing them last year.

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76 replies on “DPP’s Ben Phiri says UTM presence only on Facebook: Most of its social media users are abroad, not voters”

  1. Take it or leave it

    MCP analamulira 31years
    Pano a kwanisa 25 years ali ku opposition(Muluzu 10yrs,Bingu & Joyce10yrs and Peter5yrs)
    Zakhalazaka 5yrs ndi 1 yr kuti a balatse ekwezyoni
    Sopano kuti a balance ekwezyoni ayenela kuti this year a luzetso kaya mwadala or mwamwayi

    Akaza balance ekwezyoniyo tizawavotela

  4. The DPP gurus know they will face stiff competition from UTM and may lose so Ben Phiri wants to project UTM as an outsider and in so doing deflect its potential. I have interacted with supporters of DPP and many seems to have a soft spot for MCP which says a lot about the chaos in DPP following the rise of UTM.

  5. Mulungu akafuna kusintha ufumu , zonse amapanga yekha kuti ulemerero onse ubwere Kwa iye. Werengani bukhu la Daniel , muzaona nokha . DPP ikuzichosa yokha, akukhala ngati misala. Nkhani yavma alubino, kopereka nomination papers zonse zosokonekera.
    Zina ndi izi. Mmalo Moti tikhala tikukamba za mfundo zomwe anatsitsa kuti mchifukwa ninji DPP isankhidwenso, mutu waukulu pa interview ndi Oti he is denying the force that is UTM when all Malawi knows very well.
    Ambuye tikudziwa kuti DPP mwaichosa ndinu. Tingodikira mutiululire president wina pa 21 May.

  6. And most of them are leaving outside malawi, they can not even come and vote. Akugwira ya kalavula gaga ku south africa, kuyenda mozemba everyday. ku USA, England. Enawanso ndalama ya transport kuti abwere kumudzi alibe.

    1. Kaya izo ndi zanu. Ife ndiye tikuchinda azungu, amwenye, ma Filipino, aluya , ma Brazil mkati inu zichedwani nkutinyoza

      2. Ndiye ndizonyadila zimenezo, za ziii!!!!. Kumangopanga noise pa social media. Mumkaona ngati mukapita kunja mukapeza money mosavuta, lero ndi zimenezo or 100 usd, 500 Rand mulibe yoti mungawatumizile makolo kumudzi.

      3. Za ziiii, mukatero kubweleko muthatha kuno, kudzavutitsa achibale ndi kugula coffin chonsecho la mchele simutumizako

    2. Za ziii…….just check misonkhano ya chilima….it’s nonsensical to say it’s only supported on social platforms.MCP DPP are also on social platforms defending there respective parties……..

  7. DPP kuba, kupha and kuononga. Abale athu a chi Albino akusowa mtendere in their own country. Ben Phiri ndiye mbava inanso. Iwe ndi Nankhumwa mwagwira chipwisi. Mumaona ngati mudzalamula dziko lino. Mbuzi inu.

  8. Aphiri akunama awa, nanga iwo akweza chibagela bwanji kkkk, UTM yakuzunguzani mpaka mwaiwala kuika chala mmwamba mwaika chibagela kkkk

  9. That can be true…but still be very very carefull with MCP….because MCP is only adding day in day out…But DPP has subtracted a lot…as DPP we have subtracted the lower shire , Ntheu, and UTM is bring confusion in Lomwe belt areas..
    So be carefully with MCP….

      1. Eeeh paja mmawina choncho ndi pakamwa, nthawi yakeyo ikadzakwana muzidzalira kuti mwaberedwa kkkkkk koma MCP simunaphunzilepobe chilichonse?

  11. UTM is in all platforms, even in the village you will find it. Go to Mabulabo Emfeni in Mzimba you will find , go to Chipananga in Chikwawa, Mua in Dedza, etc. You will be shocked. Am in Malawi I will vote for SKC

    2. The silent majority are with SKC. Iam not abroad and will never be but I will vote for this SKC guy, period. Enough is enough

  13. Abwana mmene amachokera ku sanjika anali asanssankhe runingmate. Mpaka atafika pa ginery corner. Naye chimulilenji pamenepo atasamba mankhwala. Bwana mmalo mosankha Bright msaka anangoloza chimulirenji. M’ bale wake wa Getrude. Nkhani ndiyoti mukazaluza muja achina Goodwill Gondwe azatsalira ku dpp?.

  14. Get with the program, the world is moving on, your statement shows just how retarded and behind times you are.

  20. This guy is at the center of corruption allegations in Malawi. He has looted with impunity and he does not care about poor Malawians who are suffering in the villages. He is so scared and he knows DPP is obsolete and he will have to account for his wealth at some point. DPP demise is so eminent and am not surprised why they are all scared. Apumbwa inu

    1. kkkkkkk look at you chemalembe, how stupid can you be? You’ve just proved Ben Phiri right here. The research says UTM number 3 as you put it and that is not winning an election. KKKKKK well if being position 3 is winning to you then that is what you will get.

      1. Number 3 in two and a half months of existence. The current leaders of DPP and MCP do not have what it takes to raise profile a party like Chilima did and should be happy that they found an already established institution. If you are looking at how capable a candidate is to take us to another level then the two leaders do not pass the test.

  23. A Ben Phiri Inu, what do u know about politics? Who told you that Dpp has people on the grassroots? Politics is not church where members are registered by baptisim OK. Muzakhumudwa Inu come May 21

  25. UTM is unstoppable indeed, this Ben Phiri will wee in his pants come 21st may 2019.

    Wether u like or not but no more dpp to rule Malawi again. We are tired of your butchering of innocent people the likes of our Albino brothers and sisters , Dausi statement says it all that u are involved in this syndicate. And all potential suspects are being murdered b4 they can reveal real Culprits and their market.

    Very painful and pathetic administration .

  27. Truth to be told is the real winner makes less noise with more actions on the ground hence grassroots are evolving Mr Ben Phiri. The real battle is between the DPP & MCP others are there to divide votes. Your base Mr Phiri is fragmenting as we speak & others will also eat in your base too. No guarantees in this election.

    1. Reasoning entails estblishmnent of reality and the reality is that facebook and twitter are not automated entities. They are human directed

  35. benni phiri mwaba kokwana whether utm or mcp carries the day . u guys you are going to jail straight. musamaone ngati amalawi ndife opusa

  39. Time has changed and ICT is here to stay. Any party sticking to old ways of relying upon buildings as a sign existence is bound to get the shock of their lives.
    Mr Phiri is using the platform he is despising to reach out to voters. Hypocritical!

  40. Even those who attend meetings UTM members are organising are abroad? You are the people who are misleading Agogo. Small wonder, he picked Chimulilenji

  41. IF INDEED UTM WAS ONLY PRESENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I THOUGHT BEN PHIRI COULD HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING IN SILENCE SO THAT HIS DPP WINS THE ELECTIONS! WHY SHOULD HE SEEM TO BE WORRIED THAT UTM IS JUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA? THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT BEN PHIRI AND DPP ARE FEELING THE HEAT. PERIOD!

    WAIT FOR THE ELECTIONS IN MAY AND STOP KULUBWALUBWA!

  43. Okupha ma Albino a DPP. Kaya UTM or mcp bola dpp mukapume. Bon kalindo munamumangira pa Facebook

  44. kip on chieatin APM but de truth wll b knowing on 21 may and u won’t believe t dat UTM has win de Elections. Ben And yo frendz tel mr president dat pipo r tired of his administration. i know u wnt to continue stealing from our pockets, but i cn tel u dat Tatopa ndipo jst get redy iwe, Norman chisale, Chaponda

  45. BEN, YOUR TIME IS GONE, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO BE ARRESTED!
    WE WILL VOTE FOR CHILIMA, ZITHUMWA ZANU ZOPHA MA ALBINO ZAULULIKA!

  47. Bravo Ben. That’s the truth.Most of those making noise ndimachona in different countries. Even if they give them money for transport to cone and vote they won’t come albe mapepala oyendera..Let’s support Mcp to stay in opposition bassi zinazi ndi zibwana za n combo lende

  49. shut up small head iwe. pita ku maliseceakowombala galu iwe , timapwala toumato. mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
    ndiye ku misonkhano kuja amabwerako ndi anthu ali kunjawo???????????????? tsilu iwe eti. mwana wakuba magulu a george malemya,ben phili sidzina lakoso mutu ngati ciboli takaonani eti. usasokoneze anthu ndi phd yogula ija fwetseki.
    umuuze nancibwe namapando manoyo ngati wakutuma ndiiye, should just sit his butt and watch…..

  51. Ben phiri so called Doctor but you are failing to analyse the situation at hand why are you cheating people. Don’t allow politics to take away our rationality. Our politicians have no knowledge about politics. Akasowa chochita angolowera kundale basi.

  52. MALAWI IS RANKED 182 OUT OF 187 COUNTRIES ON POVERTY INDEX AND YOU SAY WE ARE DEVELOPING ??? REALLY??

    ZIMENEZO KU THEKERANI NDI KWA NYEZELERA KONKO.

  56. MCP used to think that way but came the 1994 multiparty elections the underground UDF scooped the day!! When people are tired shit goes down keep saying UTM is a urban party, has no structures while you burning their cars, trying to stop their registration as a party, intimidating their supporters and using the police to frustrate them you scared COWS!! UTM is unstoppable period!!

    5. A chitsilu inu tangokhalani cete. Mwaba kokwanila. Koma kodi mumamva bwanji mukamaba ndikulemela beyond your dreams aMalawi akubvutika? Muonanso

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