DPP gurus claim to be under threats in Mzimba as PP faces acid test
As campaigning for the Mzimba twin by elections draws to a close this Saturday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) top brass including its acting president Peter Mutharika have claimed that they are receiving anonymous phone calls asking them to stop campaigning and instead pave way for PP President Mrs. Joyce Banda’s rallies.
DPP claimed that the caller is threatening to burn houses of Mutharika and his deputy Goodall Gondwe and Regional Governor for the north Reverend Christopher Ngwira if the party does not heed the call to stop its rallies.
Voting is scheduled for October 9th in both Mzimba Central Constituency, which fell vacant following the death of Professor Donton Mkandawire and Mzimba South West which fell vacant following the ascendency to the Vice Presidency of Khumbo Kachali.
DPP president Peter Mutharika is in the Mzimba district to drum up support for his party’s candidates.
Ironically, President Joyce Banda is also scheduled to hold PP campaign rallies on Friday and Saturday before proceeding to Chitipa for the “development rallies” on Sunday.
Reverend Ngwira told Nyasa Times on Thursday that the DPP campaign team in Mzimba were receiving threats.
“I asked the caller for his identity but he refused to give it instead he insisted that we should call off our rallies so that we should not clash with the President’s rallies,” Ngwira said.
The outspoken Reverend described the threats as archaic and not in tandem with Malawi’s political dispensation.
“Our respective party presidents will hold their campaign rallies about 100kilometers apart so I do not see any logic in calling that a security threat,” he queried.
But PP’s National Treasurer Harry Mkandawire said the allegations were false and meant to tarnish the image of PP.
Mkandawire also said Ngwira called him to lodge the complaint.
“We know DPP is fond of mudslinging at almost all of their rallies but we have never revenged,” said Mkandawire, who also wondered why Ngwira called him instead of reporting the matter to the Police.
Mzimba Police Station Public Relations Officer Gift Nyirongo expressed ignorance on the matter and asked for more time to gather facts.
Meanwhile , DPP has urged its supporters to respect electoral laws. The party’s deputy Chief Whip Simon Vuwa Kaunda said this during a campaign rally held at Kafwefwe Primary School in Mzimba Central Constituency on Thursday.
Kaunda asked the supporters to avoid campaigning beyond regulated time and also to avoid vandalizing other party’s regalia.
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