Lucius Banda says not against DPP-UDF alliance but wants to see ‘benefits’

United Democratic Front (UDF) Balaka North member of Parliament (MP) Lucius Banda says  he is not  against  the  working relationship  between  the  UDF  party  and the  governing  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  but  that  he is  just  demanding  that  there  should  be  ” some  benefits ” attached to  the  arrangement.

Banda,  who has  been  in the  media  asking  his  party  to  pull out  of the  relationship  with the  DPP  told  the  state  run  Malawi  Broadcasting  Cooperation (MBC)  in a recorded  interview  that it is not  true  that  he was  against  working  with  DPP.

” Not even once have  I ever said am against the  relationship but rather  am puzzled with the way it was  initiated,” said the MP who is also a legendary musician.

“ Am one person  who believes in  writing , putting things in order  for the  future, for posterity sake,” said  Banda.

Asked  why he has opted  to  express his misgivings  through  the  media  other  than  engaging  the UDF party  leadership,  Banda  said  it was  actually  the journalists  that  has  been  going to  him  and  that  he has  never  gone to media  himself  to talk about  the  issues.

“Whatever I have said are issues that  were simply  responded  to questions  like  you are asking  me  now. I have not said categorically  that  am  against  it, no, not at all,” he added.

However, this could be  a change  of heart from   Banda has  been  in the  media  lately  demanding that UDF  should  pull out of the  relationship  altogether.

On Tuesday  the  party  issued  a statement  where  it  advised  Banda  to  avoid  presenting  his  grievances through the  press.

Banda has refused to be part of the coalition since its inception, describing it “unreasonable” and refused  to  sit  on the  government  benches  when  UDF  MPs  were  ordered by the  party  to  relocate.