MCP-UTM bitter fueding  presents  DPP a two tier opportunity

May 14, 2019 Kenton Kamoto - Nyasa Times 38 Comments

It appears the two main rival parties to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in this election, the Malawi Congress party (MCP) and UTM, have ignored the  Democrtaic Progress Party (DPP) and have instead turned against each other.

MCP presidential hopeful Chakwera (l) and UTM Party presidential hopeful Chilima

There has been an increased rivalry and bitter feuding between the two parties with the main battlegrounds being the central region. To underline this feuding, we are currently witnessing some of the bitterest exchanges between supporters of the two parties on the social media, particularly on Facebook and Whatsapp forums.

The most immediate reason  for this rivalry is that MCP lives under the premonition that the central regions is its enclave  and would want to protect that territory under any circumstances.

The oldest party in Malawi  still lives under the belief that it will sweep all the votes in the region, and already it is bragging of having a ‘fixed deposit’ of 1 million supporters from the central region in this election.

However, the continued presence and activities of UTM in the region appears to be challenging that notion. UTM appears to be targeting the very central region with rallies by the party’s President, Saulos Chilima, particularly in Lilongwe rural; Dedza, Kasungu, Dowa and other parts of the central region. UTM even chose Dowa as the venue for launching its campaign and manifesto.

In turn, MCP has been following the UTM trail and has enlisted its Director of Youth, Richard Chimwendo Banda to keep holding parallel rallies close to where UTM conducts its public meetings in the central region. The reason for MCP’s actions is obviously to attempt to neutralize the efforts that UTM is making so that its (UTM) momentum in the central region is stalled.

In their feuding frenzy, MCP and UTM appear to have forgotten that there is still an ‘elephant in the room’ in this election and that if they are not careful their bitter rivalry will only play into the hands of the DPP.  They have forgotten that their consistent dog-fights will make them lose focus of the real ball, which is the ruling party.

The DPP may take advantage of the spaces that the two parties are leaving behind to create electoral advantages to win the forthcoming elections.

However, it remains to be seen how the ruling DPP will spring up to the plate and take advantage of the opportunities that have been availed in the political environment as a result of the UTM and MCP rivalry. This is due to the fact that somehow the DPP appears to be slackening; the ruling party is behaving like some kind of a bystander and is busy watching the MCP/UTM ‘show’ from a distance like some kind of political soccer.

Instead of developing campaign teams and go flat out with comprehensive  and consistent campaign messages to the people  and mobilize more support for the DPP,  many of the senior members of the party who ordinarily should have been relied upon to campaign, have chosen to draw back to their constituencies to campaign for their parliamentary seats. It is only just a few senior members, especially those from the southern region, who have taken up the mantle to hit the campaign road and mobilize support for the party.

For example, the UTM and MCP rivalry seems to be particularly intense in the central region.  This has helped open up spaces in the eastern region and the southern regions of the country where DPP can take advantage to consolidate its support. The DPP also has a loyal base of support in the central region particularly the urban areas of Lilongwe and other parts of Dowa and Kasungu.

The UTM/MCP rivalry can help the DPP to profile its loyal base of support in the central region, which the party can use for strategic planning purposes to anticipate the number of votes that it can get in the region and how to tailor its campaign in order to consolidate its territory in the central region.

The UTM/MCP intense rivalry in the central region presents a two tier opportunity to the DPP.

First, the two parties have forgotten the other regions, particularly the eastern and southern regions making them fertile battle grounds that should be invaded.

Secondly, currently the United Democratic Front (UDF) does not have the grip of the eastern region like it used to have previously and will likely lose some constituencies, which again contributes to making the region an intense battleground in this election.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

38 replies on “MCP-UTM bitter fueding  presents  DPP a two tier opportunity”

  1. Though dpp and utm can try there best to convice pple from central region pple cant vote for UTM and DPP, they still rally behind MCP

  4. MCP winning these elections is inevitable, and with a majority of the votes. The only chance for a better Malawi

    1. Sidik Mia, Moses Kunkuyu, Roy Kachale, Chimwemwe Banda etc……

      You really think this team will bring change to Malawi?

  5. Anyway, you UTM and MCP should have gone in coalition to make sure that this dynasty of corrupt thiefs in blue comes to an end! We know that this will not assure us, that change is coming! It is even more than doubtful, if we look at your roots and your leadership members. We know the virus of selfishness is everywhere! Unfortunately we as voters have no other choice! I urge you both, if you win, please stand to your promises 100% , don’t excuse yourself with failures from the precious government, time of talking is than over, action is needed, cause everything is poor!

  7. SKC is winning. UTM simasewera. UTM yasintha ndale za pa Malawi. DPP ndi MCP nonse mwaphunzira kwa UTM kachitidwe ka campaign. Zipani zotsalira MCP ndi DPP.

  9. kodi Chilima ndi Atupele ali ku opposition kapena akuyimilira boma? MCP fighting government from three strands i guess

      1. Muyankheni, wopusa ndiwe amene siunalive funso labwino ngati lime Nero kikkkkkkkk kkkkk! Kulephela kuyankha pamenepo ndiwe mbuzi yachabe. Ya nkhani tikuti!!

  12. Two spoiled and greedy brats. If not me, definitely not you… kkkkkkkkk

  15. I 100% agree with the writer. UTM & MCP seem to haven forgotten that they are both in opposition. It’s like two strikers of the same team pulling each other back in an effort to win golden boot and forgetting their team is more important than individuals egos. I can testify in many groups the fight is not between DPP & MCP or DPP & UTM but UMT vs MCP.

  16. What can someone with a blue pen, paper and brain can say. You forget that the central region has most electrorate 2 700 000 (that exclude Ntcheu) than other 3 region south, east, and north . Don’t you know that 1 000 000 yo is only Lilongwe urban and rural half- half. Don’t you know that’ southern region is divided further Chikwawa and Nsanje out of southern region. Don’t you know that Mangochi , Machines and part of Zomba is also out of eastern region. Don’t you know that Blantyre urban with about 300000 electrorate ndiwogawana. Don’t you know that northern region 900 000 electrorate ndiwogawa with mijor potion to MCP. Don’t you know that Ntcheu, in politically belong to the south. Do your calculation based on real figure. Chaka Chino musova ana a njoka inu. Who can vote for Albino killers..
    Kudos to Atupele for keeping his 450 000 form Easter region out of 1 126 000.

  17. MCP is bitter with UTM for snatching expected victory from their hands. But bitterness is just never a good look, it’s a turnoff.

    Focus on telling us your ideas just like SKC is doing, not just insulting SKC like Chimwemwe Banda is doing.

  20. Dont make a mistake. Check what UTM is doing. Be careful. UTM HAS RAISED THE LEVELS OF WHISTLE STOP TOURS AND RALLIES SO HIGH THAT OTHER PARTIES ARE STRUGGLING TO CATCH UP.

    WHEN DPP WAS FIGHTING MCP…UTM WAS PARADING THE WHOLE CENTRAL REGION TO EASTERN REGION AND RECENTLY NORTHERN REGION. DPP AND MCP WERE BUSY CASTIGATING EACH OTHER ON CASHGATERS.

    NOW UTM IS IN SOUTHERN REGION. UTM HAS A VERY CLEVER STRATEGY.

    NO PREJUDICES!

  22. A poor and unprofessional analysis. Utm came from the womb of dpp and MCP is simply saying dpp and utm are one. That’s why they are rivals. Chilima is good example of a ghost worker. He gets paid from the VAT a poor man pays. Politics should not be used to enrich people. This is war as Bob Marley put it. When a vice president doesn’t work and gets paid it war. When the whole president steals from the poor man that is war. Both Chilima and APM much be toppled next week. They are two peas in a pod. That’s what MCP is saying. Atupele too is in government. MCP has three corrupt opponents from the government. Opponents that have denied northerners from getting places in the universities. The northerners are now being given an opportunity to go to Community technical colleges like the one Malemu Pulofesa Arthur Peter Mutharika opened in Chitipa. What a shithole president and his vice. Please Malawi don’t be fooled by the president, his vice Chilima and minister of health Atupele

  25. The reason is that all the parties are aware of low voter registration that has happened in the southern region and to them its better to concentrate on the center according to the number of votes expected to be casted from there. So yes its a game of mathmatical calculations

  28. Kenton Kamoto; That’s bare foot journalism! Dowa and KU cant be strong holds for DPP. What cadet chiefs Lukwa and Kaomba said was meant to blind fold and ripe off APM. I would urge you to visit the districts and sample opinions. UTM and ,UDF are part of DPP establishment. Voting any of them wont bring needed change

Comments are closed.