Joyce Banda to contest in 2019 polls: Analysts say Malawi’s first female president chances of winning ‘very slim’

June 18, 2018 Nyasa Times 22 Comments

Opposition People’s Party (PP) leader Joyce Banda, wh made history becoming Malawi’s first female president and only the second woman to lead a country in Africa, has said she is readying to  contest for presidency again in next year’s elections to reclaim the top post she lost four years ago.

Joycd Banda: I want to run for presidency again

She never won the presidential race but took power in 2012 following the death of 78-year-old President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died in office after heading up the southern Africa country since 2004.

Banda went on a self-imposed exile after losing the country’s election to her rival President Peter Mutharika in 2014 when she came third with less than 20 percent of total votes behind MCP’s Lazarus Chakwera.

But since her return in April, she has been addressing political meetings hinting her presidential run and on Sunday at a political rally in Nyambadwe Primary School ground in Blantyre, she candidly said she is interested to run for presidency in next year’s May  watershed elections.

She said her PP will have to decide to make her torch bearer during their national convention . The party is yet to announce dates when it will hold the convention.

“But let me tell you that  I am also contesting at our convention,” she informed, saying Sunday’s rally was the 14th she has addressed since her return home in April to consult PP leaders, family members and other individuals to come up with a decision to run.

“If you vote for me during the forthcoming party convention, then I will contest as PP’s torchbearer in next year’s polls,” she said.

Banda at the rally attacked the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration that it  has “miserably failed” to deliver on its socio-economic promises to Malawians contrary to President Peter Mutharika’s claims.

She said all the Mutharika administration has been doing is to duplicated developmental projects she initiated while in office, to hoodwink Malawians that it was doing something.

The former president cited a water project in Dowa and the Lirangee-Chingale-Machinga Road construction project.

Banda wondered why the DPP administration was wasting public funds in laying foundation stones which she had already done.

Some observers fear President Mutharika will thwart Banda’s presidential ambition by disqualifying her through criminal charges and that the safest route will be to maintain the existing secret “amnesty” from prosecution on Cashgate cases by not being antagonistic the regime and back it in 2019 polls.

Mutharika’s government issued an arrest warrant for Banda last July for alleged complicity in the so-called Cashgate scandal during her brief tenure as president where around US$32 million in total, almost 1% of Malawi’s annual GDP, of  state funds were siphoned.

Banda has always claimed that Cashgate took off under the presidency of her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika – brother of the current incumbent – and that she had nothing to do with it. Most observers believe her but acknowledge that the state looting probably accelerated on her watch.

Malawi’s first female president made it clear though that she felt Malawi badly needed change. She also insisted she wasn’t afraid of being arrested on the Cashgate corruption charges.

But political analysts in the country  have said even if Banda contest for presidency, she has slim chances of winning or even being the closest challenger of Mutharika.

Lilongwe-based political and governance analyst Henry Chingaipe observed that Banda’s PP is “in tatters” as its support base has dwindled due to her four-year absence .

University of Malawi’s political scientist Ernest Thindwa also said Banda chances to win are very slim.

Joyce Banda, 68, cut her teeth in politics in 1999 when she won a parliamentary seat on the ticket of the former ruling United Democratic Front.

She was one of the founders of DPP when late President Bingu wa Mutharika ditched UDF to form his party.

But she left DPP by refusing to endorse Bingu’s  plans for his brother, Peter Mutharika, to succeed him as president in 2014 when he was due to retire.

 

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22 replies on “Joyce Banda to contest in 2019 polls: Analysts say Malawi’s first female president chances of winning ‘very slim’”

  1. Amai, when you were assuming the care taker position Malawi had a presidential jet. When you left the country after losing the election Malawi had no presidential jet; kuononga kungapose apa. Anzanu omwe amanamizira farming Ku Mbalachanda with the assistance of your boy at Admarc are the ones who are keeping our jet. We want it since you are back bring it back as well.

  2. MCP singawine chifukwa Chilima ndi wa pakati ndipo adzatapa mavoti a kongilesi. Mia ndi mkazache ndi akutsidwa. Kaliati anthu akwao amukana kale. DPP is intact. Kumbukilani 2014, kunali amai ndi cashgate yao, kunali Atupele koma DPP dribbled past them all. Chaka chino game ikhala yosavuta chifukwa Chakwera wagulitsa chipani Ku PP. Amene sakhulupilira angoona ndanda wa maina a NEC ya kongilesi apeza kuti akuluakulu onse achokera ku PP ndi eni ake a kongilesi ndi mamembala chabe mu komiti yaikuluyi. Angopakidwa mafuta a mbuzi pakamwa kuti anthu aziti adya nao uwende wa Sidik Mia. MCP ikugwanso 2019.

  3. Simuzitha amayi.mudakanika with all the machinery and mumangokhalira kugawa ng’ombe. Mother and founder of cashgate. Convict Leonard Kalonga anakutchulani ku courts inu. Anywa zabwino zonse on 50:50 campaign. Mutithandize kugwetsa nkhalamba Pitala. Magetsi sankazimazima nthawi yanu.Pitala watsegulinso nsewo wanu.

  4. Kkkkk all the comments i have read are just on the negative side onani nokha APA mayi kuti Malawians don’t want you again, kuthamanganso ndi mbuzi pa tala haha total madness nanga a agriculture azitani nanga aku social walfere

  5. JOYCE BANDA,what else do you want? The billions of MK you stole and absconded was not enough,you want some more.What a greedy lady of Malawi? And why did you leave the country in secrecy and lived abroad for a number of years? This time you want to contest in the 2019 national elections,try on for the people of Malawi are still sleeping you might win.These people can even vote for H.Banda if he happens to come back from his grave!!! Joyce,what you did not accomplish when you were the President,you want to accomplish to-day? Joyce,do not take Malawians of today for granted,they have lived under most diabolical regime for nearly 40 years.and this is a national history that our grand-children and the coming generations will never ever forget.We must stand as one people to defend our country from human tyranny and exploitation.We have to stand vigilantly against Islamic ideologies which have become the cruel foe of humanity today.We must not open our gates for Islamic Arabs and their dupes and I think we can learn a good history from to-days happenings in Europe where Arab Muslims are killing innocent whites for receiving them in their own countries.Do not be cheated that Islam is a religion of peace,big NO!!! islam is the worst terrorist religion on earth just look what is going on taday in Europe.Do not be cheated my brothers,it is real.To those who ere following events in Europe,they will agree with me.WAKEUP BROTHERS AND SISTERS,ISLAM IS A KILLER RELIGION DO NOT BE HOODWINKED!!!!!!!!!!!! If S.MIA JUST HAPPENS TO BE IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DREADED MCP,ARABS WILL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH GREAT THANKS AND MALAWI WILLBE MADE THE HEAD QUARTERS OF ISS,BOKO HARAAM,HAZEBOLAH,AL SHABAAB JUST TO NAME A FEW.Be awake my dear Malawians,the World has changed greatly do not trust ARABS,I have lived with them for a long time I know many things. YOU HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR NATION BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO ALL MALAWIANS,IF WE ACCEPT TO BE DEVIDED ON TRIBAL TREND,THEN WE ARE DESTROYING OUR DEAR MOTHER MALAWI,WE MUST NOT THINK THAT ARABS ARE OUR FRIENDS OR BROTHERS AND SISTERS,THEY ARE IN MALAWI TO USE IT FOR THEIR PLATFORM TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY TO BUILD THEIR FORT FOR ISLAMIC OFFENSIVE.WATCHOUT FRIENDS MULUZI AND CHAKWERA ARE A BIT DAMNABLE AND IT IS EASY TO MISDIRECT THEM.MIND YOU,ISLAM IS NOT OUR RELIGION,IT IS A RELIGION OF DEATH AND BLOOD-SHADE!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Was it your son who arranged for escom to be torched ..She doesn’t deserve a second chance ,mai uyu kulalata

  8. JB should in fact stand. The cashgate remains allegations. MBAVA sidzingapitilire the ones we have at the moment. They burn offices to eliminate evidence, connive to exonerate each other in court of law, FAKE official government letterheads, etc. If anything she is a lesser evil.
    JB should not be discouraged, she may share the spoils with ‘tribal fiefdoms’ kind of voting in Malawi.
    SHAME!!!

  11. Joyce’s desire to run for presidency must be great news for Peter and DPP. She will certainly split the votes from the opposition further widening the margin for DPP to win. The fact that Joyce is even confident to run is an indication of how stupid and gullible Malawians are. Ike ndiye tatsalira ngati mbuzi ndithu. Has any of the politicians got real brains or they’re just psychos leading a bunch of psycho Malawians.

  12. She going to make a complete fool of herself. Daft. By the way, how is she funding this fantasy?

  14. Amai, it is good to hear that you have so far addressed 14 rallies, but how many times have you visited Lutepo in prison? Amai, chonde musamuiwale nyamata wanu okhulupilira ndipo mukamutuma amachita zonse mumamutumazo kuphatikizapo kukapeleka ndalama za cashgate Ku konveshioni ya MCP kwa Abusa a Chakwera. Osaiwalanso magalimoto 22 omwe Lutepo anapeleka Ku chipani chanu cha PP. Amalawi takonzeka kukusapotani kuti mudzapambane ndi cholinga choti muzabe Ndalama Zina muzikadyera kunja kwa dziko mukazathawanso.
    Amai mungopita Ku khoti mukadandaule kuti munaika mwala wa madziko a mseu wa Lirangwe/Chingale ndipo mseuwo munamanga koma a DPP aba mseu womangamanga. Zabwino zonse Amai pa ulendo wanu wokagwetsedwanso pa chisankho ndi APM. Uthengawu muwapatsekonso Abusa opuma a Chakwera kuti mudzalirila pamodzi APM atakukang’anthani pa May 2019.

    1. Kulota saletsana. Inuyo kaperekeni umboni wakuti Chakwera analandira ndalama za cashgate from amai. Izi mucedwa nazotu mmalo mopanga chisankho kuti chikwanje chanu chikhala cha adad akulu kapena adad ang’ono kkkkkkkkkk inunso a dhiphiphi ndiye mwazikumbatiratu. Taonera pa inu kuti Malawi atha kumukana mtsogoleri akulamula ndithu. Anasankha olakwika is the song we are singing right now. Kwao gule tione mabedwe ena ndi kukondera kwina. Eish! Professor Kamiyala zinthuzi si mbali yawo tivomereze.

  16. Aunt Joyce mukuyimaso, aaaaaa game yatentha, DPP mwayiona imeyo game plan yavuta apaa. Chilima atengeko ake kumwela, aunt waso atapeko ake kumelanso, sidikinso atapekonsoo kumwela komko eeeeeee game. I can see MCP winning come 2019. Aunt Joyce is there just to spreat the votes kkkkkkkkkkkkk

  17. Whether her chance is Slim or Fat, whether she wins or not, its a competition anyway, so let her stand for Presidency, journalist you must stop adding fire to her relationship with Peter. I urge you amai to stand. Viva my mother, viva Malawian woman. The educated have also failed Malawi. Leadership is a passion and not degrees .

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