Malawi is poor because of leadership — Chilima

UTM Party president Saulos Chilima on Sunday moved in to assure anxious party supporters that he has not given them a raw deal in the grand political alliance with the main opposition, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), saying they share the common goal of rebuilding the country.

“You should have trust in me. I think carefully before I make any decision. I cannot make decisions that can betray you,” said Chilima on Sunday before a record crowd which attended the UTM rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre.

Some people have been expressing reservations that this was a flawed deal because Chilima, who is also the State  Vice-President will not be  the torchbearer  and that the MCP might swallow up the UTM.

He told the people that he understood their wishes to have him on the ballot paper, saying the MCP would also want to have their leader on the ballot paper but there will only be one leader.

But Chilima, a shrewd politician with marketing skills, said the two parties will be unveiling its presidential candidate in due course but said the two biggest political parties in the country will remain distinct.

“UTM is UTM. UTM will remain UTM so too MCP is MCP, MCP will remain MCP, so there should be no cause for worry,” he said.

He said the MCP/UTM alliance is the powerful tool to get the corrupt Democratic Progressive Party  (DPP) out of power and bring in a government of the people.

“UTM Party and MCP have a vision to save Malawi from its current situation,” said Chilima.

He accused the current government that its has failed  to develop Malawians .

“Malawi is poor because of the leadership. They [ DPP] have destroyed the nation. When voter registration starts, let us go and register in our large numbers, vote and protect the vote. Do not give them another chance,” he said.

Chilima took time to scorn at government for hiring foreign lawyers for the election appeal case at a staggering K600 million instead of using the money to buy food for the starving masses out there.

“People are starving out there. People are starving in Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe and other districts across the country. It is therefore insensitiveness on the part of the government to use the K600 million for foreign lawyers payment instead of buying food for the starving masses,” he said.

He said it was appalling that President Peter Mutharika was building his retirement home in Mangochi instead of using the money to buy food for the people who are in  dire need of it.

Malawi Congress Party, Umodzi Party, Mafunde, Aford officials and supporters were among those that attended the UTM rally.