Kaliati lashes at Malawi police, says SKC will not resign: UTM won’t be intimidated
Mulanje West Parliamentarian and interim UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati has described the actions of the police at the Kamuzu Internation Airport in preventing the supporters from welcoming its leader Saulosi Chilima as misuse of force and authority and has stressed that Chilima will not resign as Vice-President of the Republic of Malawi.
There was huge presence of police officers in combat gear and armoured vehicles at the airport when Chilima arrived in the country from a seven-day visit to Britain.
The UTM supporters were prevented from entering the airport and were kept far away but this did not damp the spirit of the followers who chanted and danced in praise of their leader who had been in the UK for a week for a holiday.
“This is a sign that UTM is strong, they fear the strength of the UTM. However, their actions is also a blessing in disguise. They are marketing our movement. We wanted campaign directors throughout the country and these are the right campaign directors,” she mocked them.
The governing Democrtaic Progressive Party (DPP) and its sponsored organisations under the banner Joint Civil Society Platform on Governance (JCSPG) , the Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee (MHRCC) and Forum for National Development (FND) have asked Chilima , accusing the Vice-president of drawing a salary and benefits from government without doing work.
The Vice-President, promoted as SKC, initials for his full name Saulos Klaus Chilima, broke ranks with the DPP June this year to form his UTM, citing massive corruption and theft of public resources in the government.
Kaliati said Chilima was elected Vice-President by Malawians after standing on the ballot with President Peter Mutharika in 2014.
She said government removed Chilima as minister of Disaster Management and head of Public Service Reforms and the President is not delegating him responsibilitied but “we are going to give him the job as Head of State when his tenure as vice-president ends May 21 2019.”
Kaliati added: “ Chilima will not resign until 2019 because he was chosen by Malawians And he will be given another contract, this time not deputy president but Head of State.”
She argued that Chilima was being sidelined by the DPP administration and duties that should have been rightfully delegated to the office of the VP were being delegated to others long before he resigned from the DPP and long before the establishment of UTM.
Kaliati said the VPs contract is with the people aand trying to pass off the JCSPG call for resignation as the will of the people is a laughable matter.
Commenttaors argue that holding meetings in Malawi and abroad, Chilima has not violated any law, saying whether he is in his office at Capital Hill or out of the country on personal leave, Chilima is still VP of the country.
“Even when he is addressing a gathering in his personal capacity, the fact that he is VP of the country does not cease to exist… Holding a democratically elected government accountable for its shortcomings is not anarchy and lawlessness, it is the very core of the principles of democracy.”
In his brief speech, Chilima urged people not to be intimidated and insisted Malawi is ripe for change, assuring that no one would rig elections next year.
Chilima, accompanied by his wife Mary, said the movement will not be moved and expressed optimism that they will make it as the country’s next government.
In 2005, former president and founder of DPP Bingu wa Mutharika also voluntarily dumped the United Democratic Front (UDF) which sponsored his presidential ticket in the 2004 General Elections and formed DPP. However, he did not resign as Head of State. His vice-president then, Cassim Chilumpha, remained UDF.
Immediate past president Joyce Banda also formed People’s Party (PP) in 2011 after being expelled from DPP, but continued to serve as vice-president.
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This guy is a thief why clinging to get payments for the job not done? Ndipo akanakhala kuti anali APM or chaponda lol mukanaimva corrupt times ng’oma zakezo. This guy and his akweni are heartless, how can they trump on poor people in the name of constitution rights by claiming allowances in billions, convoys using tax payers money in billions, security personnel allowances in billions for the job he is not doing? Mr VP don’t be misled by these mafias they will turn against you one day and they will use this very same thing you think you are enjoying… Read more »
I thought the so called transformative grouping would do things differently with regard to flocking to the airport to welcome a person. Airports are in a way security places hence having thousands of unscreened people roaming around is dangerous to the airlines and passengers. Surprisingly, here in Malawi or is it still Nyasaland, we seem not to change the way we used to behave during the one party regime. Ma Nyasa sadzatheka ndithu!
Stop lying.
Even in developed countries people are screened only in designated places e.g. when you are about to check-in but not anywhere around the airport.
Vuto ndi ma DPP cadets like their masters their trademark is bragging ngati odzindikira ndi kunamiza anthu a kumudzi, survival mechanism
It is only in Malawi where loafers have all the time to spend at the airport to welcome their so called party leaders. I even saw some women dancing at the airport at around 2 pm….like seriously????? A lot of money is spent on hiring vehicles and fuel just to see a plane take off/touch down……funny
Chilima is ghost worker basi
amabungwe mwazindikira liti .mwatiesa ife zisiru zanu mwalandira ndalama uko muzitibowa pano.kodi cassimu chilumpha anasiya kulandira ndalama ali mu trison case.nanga joice kapena malewezi ndi 6 months holiday ija anasiya kulandila ndalama za misonkhozo ,ifetu si mbuzi ndife anthu muzikangongona ndi achakazanu osakhala mukapasidwa burns muzitinyasa amabungwe your too corrupt nonsense
The movement for disigruntled pipo….full of anger…..unfortunately pipo know thar UTM and DPP are bed fellows.
The best UTM will get is to be number 3 followed by dpp on position 2 and MCP number 1…
Ufulu wo.Kkkkkkk. A police ali mmadzi. Our stupid police challenged even by dogs. Koma kudziwa kugwilirira ana mu selo. Stupid IG
Our mistakes are bearing fruits mubvi woyang’anira lero walasa, when Bingu left UDF he was supposed to seek fresh mandate from DPP support which he formed bcoz UDF which he dished would’ve stood a new candidate. But our learned lawyers & law experts remained quite while an anormaly was being brewed today tikumwa mowa pano tikuzandira kusowa kuti Chilima achita resign bwanji.
We are all tired of politicians with big mouths, and big appetites, and big promises. Give us politicians with big ears, and big hearts, and honest intentions. When SKC tours the districts, I hope that he will spend at least as much time listening as talking.
Chiswa B is very useless. If it was still time for slave trade, I would have offered him for sale at the lowest price possible. He is a disgrace to the nation.
true and we are here for the UTM