Malawi VP Chilima off to America for ‘private engagements’: To present presidential nomination papers February 6

Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who is also UTM party president, left for  United States of America (USA) on Monday morning for what his office says is a private visit.

Chilima left through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and was seen off  by UTM officials.

Special assistant to the Vice-President on economic affairs Milward Tobias said in a brief statement that Chilima is visiting US for “private engagements.”

He said the Vice President arrives back home on January 24  through Kamuzu International Airport.

In October 2018, Chilima also made foreign trips to the United Kingdom, Nigeria and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a development which drew State House anger.

In December, Chilima went to  Abuja, Nigeria to attend a high-level meeting on mitigating disruptive applications of information and communication technology (ICT) in electoral processes in Africa.

Meanwhile, Chilima says his presentation of nomination papers to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on February 6 is a turning point in Malawi’s political history, pledging to fight corruption and bring development to Malawi to new levels never seen before.

Speaking before a mammoth crowd in Salima north west constituency on Saturday, Chilima said he was just waiting for the day he would present the presidential nomination papers, saying this will mark the highly contentious May 21 election.

“This will be a new chapter in our history. UTM wants to bring development in this country never seen before but we need to fight and end corruption first,” he said.

Chilima pledged that the UTM-led government would abide by the rule of law, governance, bring in new agricultural methods for improved production as well as find markets for peasant farmers.

“Salima people should not be starving. You have lake water just within your backyards. We should use the water for irrigation so that you can grow crops all year round, this is an initiative my government would do,” he said.

He also said his administration would end the free fertilizer and farm in puts program saying it only benefitted a few but enriched many crooked corrupt officials.

Chilima said the best would be to sell the fertilizer at a cheaper price to everybody.

The Republican vice president also warned that he would order Malawians to stop paying tax for two months to force the government stop arbitrary arrests.

“If people don’t pay tax for two months, we will see where the government will get the money to pay the police who are used to arrest innocent opposition figures,” said the UTM leader.

Chilima told the eagerly listening crowd the development programs his UTM has lined up for them once voted into power on May 21, saying his government would serve the interests of the ordinary people not the interests of politicians.