DPP-UDF alliance plan to hold joint rally at Njamba

The governing  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) have planned to hold  a joint rally at the famed Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre this Sunday to formally announce to their supporters of an alliance ahead of the fresh elections.

DPP spokesman Nicholous Dausi confirmed about the rally but said the party will hold a joint news conference with UDF on Friday to give more details.

President Peter Mutharika, who is seeking a fresh mandate in the first ever presidential fresh elections, will address the rally alongside UDF president Atupele Muluzi and party gurus of the  DPP-UDF alliance.

The rally will “crown the alliance as embraced by the supporters of the two parties,” said UDF spokesman Ken Ndanga, who also said the news conference on Friday will have more details.

DPP and UDF announced their alliance last week ahead of  fresh presidential elections in May which observers say the goal is to achieve more than 50 percent of the total votes required for the winner.

Parliament set May 19 as the date for fresh presidential elections  after a constitutional court nullified last May’s ballot results, which incumbent President Mutharika narrowly won.

Announcing the alliance at a news conference, Mutharika said the partnership comes because both parties hold similar values.

 

“We are both democratic, peaceful and development-orientated parties. We share similar aspirations to improve living standards of all Malawians in this country. We are all determined to achieve this,” he said.

Mutharika said the two parties are also considering joining a coalition. “And our goal is to unite and develop this country. God bless alliance; God bless Malawi,” he said.

UDF leader Atupele Muluzi, who previously served as Cabinet minister in a DPP administration, said the partnership with the ruling DPP follows a number of discussions he had with President Mutharika.

 

He said UDF and DPP has along history,  saying throughout the previous government they have been able to demonstrate that the two parties can work together for the benefit of the people.

“There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’ It is therefore in that spirit, that I have set aside my personal ambition in favor of serving Malawi as part of a more comprehensive team,” he said.

Muluzi said he has set aside personal ambition of aspiring to be the country’s leader under his party’s banner in favour of serving Malawians.

Political analysts  have since touted UDF as a party that can add more value in terms of extra votes to DPP in the fresh presidential election.

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