MCP rebuffs UTM as alliance talks starts with hitches

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Einshower Mkaka on Tuesday night threw spanners into the proposed MCP-UTM alliance by telling the UTM Party team to ask its president Saulos Chilima to discuss with MCP presidential hopeful Lazarus  Chakwera, Nyasa Times has learnt.

Senior UTM officials Patricia Kaliati and Jospeh Chidanti Malunga were furious after waiting for hours as MCP team played hide and seek.

However, spokespersons for both MCP and UTM are reluctant to give details of the talks which brought together a selected team of negotiators from both parties last night.

The first spanner was the meeting venue,  with MCP officials insisted to be held at their headquarters in Lilongwe City Centre. The UTM team rejected.

The two parties then agreed to meet at Crossroads at 6pm.

As the UTM team was travelling from Area 10 offices, MCP officials called to say the party had given powers to Chakwera to negotiate any alliance.

The UTM had to retreat and it has since recommended that Chilima set  up a solo campaign team and treat alliance negotiations as ‘plan B’.

Mkaka is suspected to be a Sidik Mia operative who wants his fanancier to run again as runningmate to Chakwera.

However, some people privy  to the talks say the two parties might reach agreement although the sticky issue remained that of who will be the presidential candidate during the May 19 election.

“The discussions were held in a very peaceful and friendly atmosphere. At the end of it all,ban agreement will be reached,” said our source.

MCP wants party president Chakwera to be the torch bearer for the two parties in the polls while UTM is fighting for their leader Chilima.

Chakwera, meanwhile , is said to be searching for a runningmate from the North with former Speaker Richard Msowoya being targetted.

Apart from Msowoya, Chakwera also privately met Kamlepo Kalua and Ralph Mhone to see if they could run as PP runningmate as  former president Joyce Banda cannot run.

Meanwhile, UTM officials are suspicious that Aford’s  Frank Mwenefumbo who is close to UDF’s Atupele Muluzi is pretending to work with Chilima.

Mwenefumbo hosted UDF officials before they went to State House for signing ceremony.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :