Malawi opposition candidates no match for JB – Ruling PP gurus
Governing People’s Party (PP) gurus on Sunday took turns to assure their supporters at a ‘development’ rally in Nkhotakota not to worry much about opposition presidential candidates.
Vice President Khumbo Kachali, People’s Party Vice President Cassim Chilumpha, Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Mussa speaking at Benga Community Day Secondary School Ground in the area of T/A Mwadzama, they all expressed confidence that PP will retain power after next year’s elections with President Banda at the helm.
Mussa said Pres. Banda was appointed by God to serve the people and foster development.
“It was God’s design to have President Dr Joyce Banda in power and she will continue to be running the country until her mandatory retirement time comes,” said Mussa.
Chilumpha, who is answering treason charges for allegedly plotting to kill former president late Bingu wa Mutharika, said though he was dropped from Banda’s cabinet as Energy Minister, he remains royal to her and the PP.
He pledged his unflinching support to President Banda, expressing confidence that in the next year’s elections it will victory for orange.
VP Kachali thanked the President for distributing cows to Malawians and urged her to continue with the programme.
“This is the first time for a Head of State to be involved in such initiative and we are very grateful for such non-discriminatory initiative because every Malawian is benefitting,” Kachali said.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Professor Peter Mwanza said his ministry will support the President in the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Reduction, A Cow a Family as well as Small Stock Project to realize her goal.
Presidential Initiative on Poverty and Hunger Reduction targets vulnerable households that do not own cattle in the rural areas to improve peoples’ livelihoods and the country’s economic growth and food security.
In her remarks, President Banda, who promoted to Senior Chief T/A Mwadzama, assured the people that her Government will continue to deliver development to all parts of the country.
She said the economy is healing as evidenced by appreciation of Malawi Kwacha, availability of forex, fuel and sugar.
“We will continue implementing farm input subsidy programme (FISP) and we will also introduce another programme targeting those who have not benefited from FISP by providing them with fertilizer on loan.
“The success of all these will rely on you chiefs because I respect chiefs very much but I hate those who favour only their relatives,” she said.
She further indicated that during the next growing season, commercial estate farmers will be identified to grow maize to complement production from smallholder farmers growing maize in clubs and those benefitting from FISP.
“We would like to produce more output so that we should be exporting some to the neighboring countries because I am not happy to see people experiencing hunger,” said the President.
Banda also announced that her government will continue focusing on greenbelt initiative, value addition and a cow a family programme in order to improve the economy and reduce poverty among Malawians.
“My heart is on making sure that we start buying farm produce starting from tomorrow [13 May] to motivate farmers to produce more, distributing food to areas affected by dry spells and distributing cattle for poverty reduction especially among the rural people,” she said.
President Banda will face the challenge from opposition presidential hopefuls Atupele Muluzi of UDF and Peter Mutharika of DPP and
MCP is yet to select its candidate for 2014 tripartite elections.
