Mia says MCP-UTM alliance should accommodate all Malawians:‘Avoid leadership bubble’

The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) first deputy president Sidik Mia has said he believes that there is strength in unity and lends his weight behind negotiations with UTM Party for a possible alliance in the forthcoming fresh presidential elections but said all Malawians from Nsanje to Chitipa should be accommodated.

MCP and UTM are holding talks on the prospects of forming an electoral alliance between the two parties.

In an interview Nyasa Times monitored from privately-owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) on Saturday, Mia said: “I believe that there is strength in unity. I have given my full blessings to the ongoing alliance talk’s for a grand opposition alliance. This is time to save and serve Malawi.”

Mia’s comments put to bed speculations that he was putting spanners to the alliance talks to protect his running mate sport to MCP presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera.

The MCP deputy president said he is ready to give chance to anyone to take a running mate position in the grand alliance, saying the alliance should be for the many, not the few.

“In the impending fresh elections, I am ready to sacrifice my running mate position if that is what it will take to save our country,” said Mia.

He continued: “Malawi, our dearest country, is bigger than some of our individual ambitions.”

Mia urged politicians not to have egos that can cause to act against the values of meaningful change the country needs.

He warned egos could create leadership bubble but urged leaders to be selfless for the cause of transformation and build a new Malawi for the many not the few.

Mia said he remains upbeat that MCP with its current alliance partners, People’s Party (PP) of former president Joyce Banda and Freedom Party of former vice-president Khumbo Kachali can win the elections and obtain 50-plu-one threshold to prevent a runoff.

There is pressure for MCP and UTM, from supporters, to go into an alliance with some of the parties’ top officials openly declaring this interest.

The pressure has become even more pronounced following the announcement of an alliance between United Democratic Front (UDF) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who are holding a mass rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre on Sunday to launch their union.