Spokespersons for major partners in ruling Tonse Alliance have openly clashed and exchanged political jabs as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM fallout in the alliance escalates and divisions deepens.
Rev Munthali
MCP spokesperson Rev. Maurice Munthali has accused UTM spokesperson Frank Mwenifumbo of making unfounded claims when he is quoted as saying most UTM members are not happy with the alliance following recent President Lazarus Chakwera’s cabinet appointments and pronouncements in public.
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Mwenifumbo said most of UTM members are not comfortable with the way things are being managed in government citing the recent firing of UTM ministers by President Lazarus Chakwera during a cabinet reshuffle.
But Munthali said the remarks by Mwenifumbo were unfounded speculation.
He said MCP believes that the working relationship among Tonse Alliance members is cordial and intact.
Munthali accused some people of trying to create animosity between the president and his vice.
“We do not want to go deep into why some people are disgruntled.
“Every party has disgruntled people. Chakwera cannot be going into everybody’s house to make sure that everybody is happy.
“We always want to make sure that we run the agenda and incorporate everybody, even those who are disgruntled would see that Malawi is on the right path and they will be happy” said Munthali.
Munthali said if Mwenifumbo was speaking on behalf the party, then UTM should have taken up the matter with their counterparts in MCP rather than go public.
“Otherwise people will think that we are problems. So far as Malawi Congress Party, we feel that is not the case and if anything, we could have find time to sit down and talk.” he added.
Some UTM members have been asking UTM president Saulos Chilima to take the party out of the alliance after President Chakwera fired some UTM ministers in the cabinet, drastically reducing their numbers in the cabinet.
They also accuse Chakwera of unequal distribution of government positions.
Chakwera and Chilima have not made public contents of the agreement of the Tonse Alliance.
