Malawi opposition talks to form ‘grand alliance’ gain pace
Leaders of Malawi’s divided opposition have swallowed their price and conceded they cannot make any claim on winning the presidential elections unless they act together to choose a joint candidate in the watershed May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
There are nine parties involved in the talks which will be concluded this weekend as they want to trim down the number of presidential candidates from the current 20 aspiring for the presidential vote, which will be combined with a parliamentary election and elections to the council assemblies.
Those taking part are recent-past governing People’s Party (PP), newly registered UTM Party, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and six others under the banner of Tikonze People’s Movement.
Sources privy to the discussions disclosed that immediate past president and PP leader Joyce Banda is hosting the meetings at her residence in Lilongwe.
Besides Banda, other high-level attendees have included UTM president and the country’s incumbent Vice-President Saulos Chilima and his party secretary general (GS) Patricia Kaliati, PP GS Ibrahim Matola, Aford president Enoch Chihana, People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) president Mark Katsonga and Tikonze torchbearer and the country’s former vice-president Cassim Chilumpha.
The opposition will have to seal their coalition deal by weekend as presidential aspirants will be required to present their nomination papers replete with running mates to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) next week.
During his news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday. pledged to comeback with election-related announcements “within few days”.
Chilima indicated that his party was in talks with other opposition parties to enhance chances of winning the elections.
He said: “It is important to join forces and form a formidable force in order to ensure that victory is on our side. You can be assured that we have engaged other parties on this matter. But we will confirm whether we have partners in a matter of days.”
A Chilumpha, a Katsonga, you still harbour ambitions of becoming president. Who, in the proposed alliance, will be the torch bearer? JB,? Chilumpha? Waste of time.
You can’t have an opposition alliance without MCP.
The mere serious thought of a political coalition, in this country, runs against the spirit of democracy, we feverishly fought for. Choice, a most fundamental democratic right of by voters being diminished; this would take us back in time, close to where we were before Kamuzu and MCP were thrown out. We need to chose from a wide array of Presidential candidates, abale. It should be noted that the “leaders” pushing for the coalition are ones who don’t have a chance of winning the Presidency: Real leaders will not join this coalition of failures, and pretend leaders. The Party to… Read more »
Pangani Alliance MCP zisayikhuze.After all you have a Common Factor- Chilumpha,Chilima ,Banda Nonse Tate wanu ndi DPP which Used and Dumped You .MCP has all along planned to Take part in the Elections it does not have Accidental Presidential Candidates.Mukatuluza basi muzizati Tigwira Ntchito ndi Chipani Cholamula .MCP ikaluza imatogwira Ntchito ya Amalawi ndipo sitekeseka.Eni Olo kundithira Doom mkamwa sindingatengeke ndi Anthu omwe anatibera ma Vote mu 2014.
There is no way these parties will agree on anything. Greed basi.
SKC President and JB, VP Kikiki. JB from president to Vice President. What does she really want? Another cashgate.
GRAND ALLIANCE??? SOME OF THE GUYS HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDAS UNDER THEIR SLEEVES.
“YOU DO NOT WAIT FOR THE AIRPLANE AT THE SEA PORT.”
Bring in Atupele as well so that Alomwe awonekere poyera with their NEPOTISM.
Kodi inu a UTM m’mesa mumachita matama mumati you have sufficient (muscles) numbers to “go-it-alone”. Mwayiona game kuti its getting hotter eti. Inu mumayesa m’dala yu ndi wa masewera. Akulu akulu ndi mdambo mwamva. Achita stabilize exchange rate. Akunyenyanyenyani tu, mudzamwa nazo tameki izi, apo ayi mudzadziombera. Gwirizanani akumenyereni limodzi. M’dala woyeeee!!!
kkkkkkkk asiyeni aphatikizane, tiwatibulanso. After msonkhano wa DPP ku blantyre okhanso aona kuti akuchepera kaba. Nchifukwa chake anapangitsa msonkhano wa atolankhani kuti anyansitse dzina la President, koma sidzinatenge olo ora twenty anthu ndi olemba nkhani aziiwala kale. Lero anthu akukamba za nkhani za mseu wa ku nsanje marka, umene anthu akhala akuudikilira.
MCP kudya mfulumira. If Chakwera already announced his running mate I don’t see him change his position, to join the coalition, otherwise Sidik will be sad and let him down.
KKKKKKK zili pa Malawi, some of these presidential candidates have no registration fees, as crooks they want to climb on someone,s back.