MCP to govern Malawi with Chakwera as next president, upbeat strategist Zikhale says

The director of strategy for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Dr Ken Zikhale Ngoma has claimed that he is certain the main opposition and oldest party will win next year’s tripartite elections and that Lazarus Chakwera will be the next President.

Zikhale made the claims in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times reporter when he visited United Kingdom.

He said after doing his calculations and analysing both current and previous political trends, there is no political party that will come close to matching the number of votes that MCP and Chakwera will amass next year.

“You see, the voting patterns in Malawi haven’t changed much since 1994 when we had the referendum, and the good thing is that MCP has maintained its core of voters, which gives them so much advantage going into elections next year.” said Zikhale.

Zikhale argued that MCP has transformed itself under Chakwera and the party is an inclusive party so it is no longer the party that’s was for the central region but for all Malawians.

“We have Sidik Mia from the south, Harry Mkandawire from the North and even me I am from the North and if it was the old MCP I couldn’t have been given the role of the party strategist,” he said

He said MCP under Chakwera is geared at ending the rampant corruption that is at the heart of the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.

Zikhale claims that an MCP government will aim to strive for fairness for all, meaning people being appointed on positions on merit and not based on where they come from.

He also touched on education and the issue of education quota system, saying MCP will end the quota system as it doesn’t represent the fairness the party is fighting for.

On the threat from other political parties, Zikhale said the ruling DPP will struggle to get back in power as their record is full of corruption scandals and nepotism.

Zikhale said the best the ruling party can do is to rig the elections.

When asked to comment on the current issue involving Malawi Electoral Commission and the voter registration kit that was found in Mozambique, Zikhale didn’t want to be drawn much into it but highlighted that MCP will make sure that no party rigs the elections.

On the increasing threat of the newly formed UTM party led by State vice-president Saulos Chilima, Zikhale said they are not a threat.

Zikhale also met up with the Diaspora Wing of the MCP in the city of Manchester where he commended the role the Diaspora plays in being the outside voice, raising matters of concern affecting Malawi for the world to see.