Joyce Banda, Kaliati, Abida Mia rap ‘running scared’ DPP

Former president Joyce Banda  has blamed the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  for frustrating opposition political party campaign rallies by arranging parallel meetings to fuel political violence among party supporters  in order to destabilize the fresh presidential elections.

Banda, who is also the leader for Peoples Party(PP) which is in Tonse alliance alongside other eight opposition  political parties,  said DPP is not ready for the fresh presidential elections as it is aware it is heading towards  defeat hence  it is devising all means possible to frustrate the  presidential elections.

Speaking  at  an opposition grand coalition rally of Tonse alliance at Makande ground in Mgabu in Chikwawa on Saturday where the Member of Parliament for the area Abida Mia was  handing over 40  sewing machine to over 40 beneficiaries, president Banda blamed the DPP authorities who organised another political rally at Miseu 4 some five kilometers from Mgabu where the Opposition Tonse Alliance held theirs.

She said  knowing that supporters of both parties were expected to  criss cross each other on their way to and from  the venues of their respective rallies, the situation  would have resulted into provocation if the Tonse alliance did not exercised restraint

President Banda also  said that  DPP authorities also frustrated the opposition rally she was supposed to conduct alongside other opposition party president on  Thursday at Naisi ground in Zomba by holding their rally at  the same vanue  which made the tonse alliance to shift their rally to Friday.

“On Thursday  we also had planned to have our rally  in Zomba only to be told that DPP supporters had already occupied our venue which made us to reschedule  our rally to Friday.

“To day they have also organized another rally after hearing that we will be having ours.We were willing to postpone our rally had it been that they were to hold theirs at this venue.We know their desperate ploy is  to fuel violence among our supporters inorder to prevent the upcoming elections but we are not going to give in to their provocation,” she said.

Secretary General for UTM party Patricia Kaliati also concurred with Banda saying DPP is shaken with the Tonse alliance saying if it were not so  the first lady would not have joined the campaign trail by  conducting a campaign rally in Balaka earlier this week.

There has not been an immediate comment from the governing Democratic Progressive Party authorities on the matter as the regional governor for the party Charles Mchacha and party spokesperson Nicolous Dausi could not  be reached on phone

In a recent survey conducted by Afrobarometer, a leading pan African research network the MCP _UTM alliance  has been projected to lead the forth coming fresh polls with 44% while the DPP UDF alliance was  trailing with 34% with none of the alliance getting the required 50+ 1