Mutharika makes final push in re-election bid with stronghold campaign

In the final stages of a long campaign, Malawi President Peter Mutharika on Friday was in his Democrtaic Progressive Party (DPP) territory on to deliver his message of development to the electorate so that he can be given a fresh mandate during Tuesday watershed elections.

Mutharika was on a whistl-stop campaign to Blantyre, Thyolo and Mulanje urging people to come out in large numbers and vote on 21 May 2019.

The DPP torchbearer  told the people that bad governments are elected by non voters  as such it is the responsibility of every Malawi to go and vote .

“Go and vote in large numbers. Don’t listen to people that have been spreading rumours about the election. All they are trying to do is discourage you from voting,” Mutharika said.

President Mutharika had his first stop in Blantyre Chigumula where he introduced the area’s DPP parliamentary candidate Sammie Suleman  – a former president of Football  Association of Malawi – where he was welcomed by thousands of people.

Later President Mutharika visited Chasunga Tea Estate of the Thyolo West off road.  Here the President was welcomed by thousands of people around   the community who are mostly tea growers .

At Chifunga the President assured the people the he would not be distracted but will continue developing Malawi.

Mutharika said he was equally dumbfounded by the infrastructural developments achieved over the past years, compelling him to seek re-election to accomplish more.

“I am determined to do even more should you entrust me with the government leadership again on May 21,” Mutharika said.

Mutharika, therefore, challenged that he would carry the day in next week’s elections because he has managed to deliver what was promised when he entered in government in 2014, saying the DPP has always stood for three principles of development, justice and security.

“We will continue with the projects in the southern region and the whole country to develop,” he said. “I would like to change the face of Malawi to match that of big economies like South Africa and Singapore.”

To this effect, Mutharika observed that most countries that have developed invested in road infrastructure and technical and vocational skills for the youth to be empowered to take part in the growth of the economy, hence the introduction of community technical colleges.

He accused the opposition political parties of conniving to frustrate his plans without offering any options for developing the country. “Make no mistake – vote for the DPP to empower it continue with development programs already taking place,” he appealed.

“If you vote for the opposition everything that we have started will come to a halt; the choice is yours to take the country forward or backwards through your ballot,” he appealed.

Mutharika, therefore, asked people in the area and the country as a whole to vote for the DPP president, parliamentary and local government representatives.

Speaking earlier, DPP Vice President for the Southern Region, Kondwani Nankhumwa described Mutharika as an action man owing to the developments spearheaded in the last four years which were evident for all to see.

“Little wonder then that you have a number of titles due to your charisma and leadership; one such name includes Professor Delivery,” said Nankhumwa.

In his remarks, Senior Chief Kapeni thanked government for the numerous infrastructural development spread across Blantyre, citing the construction of community technical colleges, roads and bridges, among others.

The DPP has three main rivals in this election—Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which is in alliance with former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) and Freedom Party (PP), Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s UTM and the United Democratic Front which has Minister of Health Atupele Muluzi as its torchbearer.

In 2014, DPP made a 36.4 percent surprise presidential votes win from the opposition, beating incumbent president Joyce Banda whose People’s Party (PP) came third. MCP came second, with a difference of about 400 000 votes.