MCP-UTM electoral combination doubtful, other alliances likely – Analysts
There is great possibility of electoral partnerships in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections but analysts have doubted the possibility of opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and and the newly registered party, UTM led by Vice-President Saulos Chilima, working together.
The analysts were commenting on reports confirmed by MCP publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali of meetings between MCP president Lazarus Chakwera—who is also leader of opposition in Parliament—and leaders of PP and UTM, respectively.
Governance expert and commentators Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that a recent survey conducted by the Zomba-based Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) between August and September this year which showed that DPP would have a slender edge over MCP if elections were held now while UTM—which was weeks old at the time of the survey—was rated third most popular ahead of next year’s elections wwill certainly ignite the debate within the inner circles of MCP, DPP and UTM on the possibility of entering into political alliances.
“ It is clear that none of the three based on the survey findings would be certain of a clear victory in the next election. In order to maximise their chances of winning the elections we are likely to see the idea of political alliances being given serious attention than ever before amongst the three political parties.
“ Already there have been indications of the DPP and UDF getting into an alliance, and now that it is seemingly very clear that UDF cannot come any closer to winning an election it is very likely to ‘donate’ its 6% to DPP. However, it is the PP which seems not decided whom it would enter into an alliance with but it is likely that this would be with either MCP or UTM,” said Munthali.
He pointed that the UTM and MCP alliance – is likely an impossibility – because MCP seems to have already concluded that Chakwera and Sidik Mia will be the president and runningmate.
“ I don’t see Mia accepting to be dropped out as a runningmate in order to put Saulos Chilima of UTM as runningmate for the possible MCP-UTM alliance. Even in a situation where Chilima becomes the presidential candidate and Chakwera accepts to be the runningmate I don’t see Mia accepting to be dropped.
“ Worse still, even if Mia were to agree to be dropped as runningmate, the very question of who becomes the presidential candidate and runningmate between Chakwera and Chilima may not be an easy one as each one of them – and their respective supporters- would want to be the Presidential candidate,” Munthali observed.
A political scientist Ernest Thindwa, who is based at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, also doubted the possibility of MCP and UTM working together.
“I can say that the potential of winning the election is big if MCP, PP and UTM work together in an alliance because their partnership can stop vote fragmentation if they decide to field one presidential candidate.
“However, this cannot be achieved easily on the part of MCP and UTM who, in my view, may have ego problems to surrender the presidential berth to each other. Those battles might even go all the way to ministerial positions. That would work to the advantage of the Democratic Progressive Party whose fortunes lie in the failure of a formidable opposition electoral alliance,” Thindwa said in quotes reported by The Nation newspaper.
However, political analyst Humphrey Mvula, said the three parties “have a chance of their lives to take over government if they work together” and could strike a partnership based on people’s expectations and common agenda.
He said: “The biggest advantage is that all of them seem to be driving a common agenda of trying to recover the economy, end corruption, job creation, improvement of farming and electricity, among others.
“The difference with the past elections is that currently the political discourse is that of change which all these parties are propagating. But I can say that what only stands in the way of this convergence of opinion is greed.”
UTM has also been in contact with Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde), People’s Transformation Party (Petra), Aford, Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) Republican Party (RP) and the New Labour Party (NLP).
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Forget about AM Ungonoungono (he is sold out to APM).
IF Dr Chilima , Dr Chakwera and Amai are serious about rescuing this Country from the evil corrupt nasty DPP alliance should be considered seriously.
If the research gives 33% to DPP
The rest of the partys together can surely defeat DPP.
Its about Malawi and not power hungry issues.
SKC, JB, RC can take this Country forward.
We need to see change. DPP should pay and no renience.
They should be tried and if found guilty to serve maximum sentence behind bars.
Anthu ankhaza awa. People are dying ad have died coz of corrupt evil choices of selfishness.
Together dpp can be defeated. Do not plit the votes.
The clock is ticking.
Forget about individual wishes. Think of Malawi.
If a vise president will have regulated and protected job by the constitution and can not be oppressed by the president then I don’t c y an alliance can’t work. let them share positions depending on their vision n popularity
Political alliances simply dilute party manifestos. What you will have in the end is officials jostling for positions in the new set up and such formations take long to arrive at important decisions for the benefit of a country. Am not for alliances as we will wake up to lies not what the manifestos said. Its a waste of time.
Any alliance in politics has specific goal to achieve. In this Case the aim of opposition Parties is to takeover government.
So these parties can agree on who will be a torch bearer , But when it comes to sharing responsibilities and ministrial position , they can do so based on a memorandum of understanding…
I think if Chakwera can be a president , while SKC be a vice President, then Sidik Mia be a prime Minister, then JB can be Chief secritary to the government ..
Inunso ndi a chamba tu inu, ku Malawi kuno kulinso udindo wa Prime Minister? Sindiye dyela ndi kufuna kubera amalawi kumeneko? We can’t even allow them to create a one as it will be a waste of our taxes nor can we allow anyone to increase the number of Ministerial positions. DPP has achieved 20 cabinet Ministers, the next government has to go even below that, may be 16, setting record new low figure, not increasing.
Kod chifukwa chiyani ma opinion anuwa mumagwilitsacnthchito ma results a rigging a DPP?
Alot of us left MCP for UTM, for 2 reasons 1) Chakwera is very weak person, too soft in handling hard problems of malawi. 2) Addition of MIA into MCP, most of us dont trust him and his connections, we feel it is liking selling our country to a foreigner. So what ever mia has spent in MCP we will refund him that is not a problem, malawi as a nation we have a bigger problem to solve bigger than a man ok. Let MCP & UTM form an alliance and lets get rid of dpp thugs and throw them all in jail, recover all stolen monies and rebuild our beloved nation. NYASA TIMES PLEASE RUN A POLLS AND LET MALAWIANS DECIDE NOW A WAY FORWARD SIMPLE. this will also expose the greedy people in MCP & UTM if they refuse to unit.
Is Mia a foreigner?? From where?? The problem with you is that you are a racists.
He is malawian, but most malawians dont feel like he is one of us, he is the reason alot of us left MCP, and the indians, pakis etc are also the ones killing this country by stealing from us eg KARIM, and they invest out of malawi just to show that they dont care about us. you can call me racist fine but these people you are defending are bigger racists. MIA also invests his money out side malawi so as far as am concerned he is not one of us. Dont we forget what muluzi and his muslam friends did to destroy this country, he sold govt companies to his friends, he he destroyed our railways, ships. SO YA ONCE BITTEN AND NOW WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES.
Wabodza iwe. Ife we remained in Mcp. Mia is a Mwian
Yes opinion polls
The party has that has big STRONGHOLD will hold sway. Mcp=chewa+manganja+tonga;
Chakwera, Sauolos and Mia, onsewa ndi a Pumbwa kufuna kudya Papaya mbali yaikulu yekha. None among the three wants to be deputy. You’ll agree with me that even Mia wants the first position. He has accepted to be vice now because he sees that as his entry point. Chakwera should be careful with Mia. That Portuguese man will be there as vice temporarily but he is eyeing the position of presidency. Whether in my presence or absence, you will agree with me in the near future. Just keep your eyes watching. This means mentioning of the MCP, UTM alliance is a joke.
This is where GREEDY politicians will be exposed, ALLIANCE is for the benefit of malawi people but knowing these greedy politicains no one will be willing to take a lesser position and in the end dpp will win again.
A liar & racist
My vote will depend on who I want to be my First Lady basi………….sindinatchule dzina ndangonena
Its true. Alliance will not work because of power hungry. Intentions of other parties are not known. Our speculations are based on individual leader,s thinking.
NO MORE CHAKWERA
U r aliar & bootlicker
I pray and will continue praying for the success of the alliance, whatever combination. I pray and will continue praying to God to soften the hearts of MCP, UTM and PP leadership to put the interests of the nation above theirs. May the Almighty banish from the above parties to DPP all those who harbour ambitions to enrich themselves at the expense of the populous. They will be booted out in May 2019 together with the corrupt, plunderering, thieving, nepotistic and merciless DPP and it’s Prince of Thieves.
May God save Malawi.
Increasingly Bebe Chilima is displaying what an a typical Malawian politician like muchipeta Chakwera, Abhiti Kazhigeti, Daniel Milomo……etc display – greed, hunger for power, selfishness, etc. Wants to crawl to leadership of the land by hook or crook. Malawians who have suffered for long deserve better in 2019
Jealous si umuna DPP ndi katundu madzi. Zonsenzi ndi mantha. If DPP is on the death bed why all this noise? If DPP ndi apumbwa why pleading with the opposition to unite? You hate DPP but we like it big time. The strength of APM is us. 2019 bomaaaaaaaaaaaa
alliance or no alliance, you will loose. the difference is an alliance will give us land slide, we dont want to take any chances becoz malawians have suffered 54 years and we have had enough of you dumbass dpp thugs ruling us ok
Even if we assumed that the electoral alliance is going to work, it will definitely end up in a BIG disaster after elections because MCP and UTM leaders and members will fight for power.
Kaya Mia waionela patali. Watsogoza Salimu Bagus mkupamama. Tiye nazoni.
Perhaps the most rattled politician in this country, at this juncture, is oChakwera, who thought he was on the cusp of victory, and was going to redeem himself from the debacle of 2014 – that public opinion opinion survey by Dulani et al. at Chirunga seems to have accomplished this, if not much else.
Simply put, oChakwera and MCP are scared of losing AGAIN.
But not so fast Bwana oChakwera: the upstart UTM and Chilima should is experiencing an expected upswing in the growth curve; and they will plateau very soon and not pose a threat if MCP up their game. ( Who can point out a base for UTM, anywhere at this juncture? Can a Party, even in Malawi, win national elections without a base?) Starting with being pro something tangible and practical, rather than just being anti DPP would help. UTM is being given a pass, especially by naive young Malawians, when the presumptive leader, Chilima hasn’t even articulated a coherent vision, and how to get to the perceived destination. And fails to do so when given an enviable platform when interviewed by Zaina Badawi on BBC HARDtalk, just a few weeks ago.
Wrenches will always come up, and suddenly, in politics; and one test of leadership is how they handle them. Without panic. oChakwera?
Political alliances, especially in the First-Past-the-Post like ours, usually do not work for many reasons; and they are not a long term political solution.
One Party, usually the perceived “junior”, ends up being chewed up to non existence in the process. Furthermore, in the current scenario of a possible MCP and UTM association, both oChakwera and Chilima are personalities to seriously confound the algebraic equation. And 1 + 1 would be very far from 2.
Then you throw in the Mia factor: well, who knows what the Mias have materially invested in MCP, and what they demand and expect in return.
Meanwhile, PP is a poisoned chalice in the current and even near future politics of Malawi.
And UDF know their status, clearly.
It would be only to the advantage of DPP to continue playing the game the way they have been playing so far.
And to continue to show iron discipline.
Failure to form an alliance, or failure to compromise on positions is planning to fail the elections. It starts at this alliance stage. Something needs to come up or to give. That will give a guarantee win, there is no room to gamble. It will be another five years of misery under DPP. Don’t give room for DPP to rig especially if the numbers are close but give them a land slide victory. Nothing personal against DPP but they have clearly failed the nation and they don’t deserve another one.
MCP knows pretty well that comes 2019,it will never win the elections hence,its willingness to work with gigantic UTM but I would like to remind the MCP leadership not to poison the clean UTM with its obnoxious sense of tribalism and dictorship..To the Northerners, I vehemently advise you to never forget what this Party of death and darkness did to the Northerners and bear in mind that,those who took over the leadership after Mphonongo Banda,have not even apologised to the people of the North as if all went well with the Banda leadership.However,the people of the North,will not forget the MALAWI CONFUSIONIST PARTY(MCP) for what it did to them until the end of the world.ALWAYS STAND FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND REMEMBER,YOU ALSO CONTRIBUTED GREATLY FOR OUR FREEDOM AND MULTI-PARTY STRUGGLE!!!!!!!!!!!
A dpp fool masquerading as a northern. Fool
ITS TIME TO FORGET THE PAST MY BROTHER, LETS FOCUS ON THE BRIGHT FUTURE, WHAT MCP DID IS ANCIENT HISTORY. MCP&UTM BOMA BASI
DPP ikuopedwa ndi MCP! If MCP tries to work with UTM kulowa chipolowe osakhala masewera…
@ Welari
It appears you are too scared to the core with the alliance talk between MCP and UTM.
DEAR CHILIMA AND CHAKWERA –
PLEASE AS YOU ARE HOLDING HANDS — USE YOUR BRAINS – COME UP WITH A WORKABLE ALLIANCE WITH ONE GOAL — TO RESCUE PEOPLE FROM THESE MONSTERS — DPP FIELD MARSHALS — FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE LESS PRIVILEGED — GOD BLESS OUR LAND
This will be like putting crabs in a bucket with each trying to climb out yet pulling each other down and none climbs out. All these people have bigger egos for leadership and they believe they are the best. I feel sorry for Sidik Mia, he will come out of this arrangement poorer because he had banked his hope that he will recover all what he has been spending if he would be vice president. Sidik Mia has been to almost all parties that have ruled Malawi and he knows how juicy it is up there. You can imagine that even Chilima claims he was receiving K11m yet he left that job and opted for a job that pays him MK1.5m but he gets extras in excess of K15 million per month
@ Lilian
This is easier to imagine than DPP and UDF being bed fellows if you really follow and understand malawian politics and taking you back to what happened between Muluzi in Bingu. This is pain to you I guess as DPP follower.