Mutharika meets Atupele: DPP, UDF renews political romance in second tryst
In a classic you-fooled-me-once-now-you-want-to-fool-me-again outplay, United Democratic Front (UDF) President, Atupele Muluzi, has met President Peter Mutharika at the New State House in Lilongwe where the two agreed to strategise on the 50+1 majority vote law ahead of the Constitutional Court sanctioned fresh elections due in five months time.
According g to a source privy to the discussions, the two parties agreed to do everything in their power, using their parliamentary numbers, to stop Parliament from ratifying and creating a framework for the implementation of the 50+1 law, following a judgement by the Constitutional Court judgement on 3rd February 2020.
“Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is so agitated and scared of the 50+1 majority requirement because the party knows its loss at the fresh election is as good as sealed if this law is ratified. The top brass in the party is aware that the party will not stand a chance against its two main rivals, MCP and UTM, which is why they are treating the current situation as a red level crisis. This is the reason why the first point of call is to stop the 50+1 law from happening, and it is for this reason why Mutharika invited Aupele to State House on Friday,” said the source.
UDF president’s meeting with Mutharika comes just days after sticking a pact with MCP president Lazarus Chakwera.
Insiders said Atupele has met Mutharika after the famous picture of him posing with Chakwera in Lilongwe where they announced a ‘working relationship’.
Already, Atupele, son of the former President Bakili Muluzi. has told his members of Parliament of the renewed political romance with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
He is said to have told the MPs that the 50+1 law is not in UDF’s best interest and that the only way forward is to vote it down.
Three UDF MPs who attended the meeting confirmed in separate interviews of the new deal for their leader.
A DPP insider also confirmed Atupele is working with them.
According to DPP sources, the two discussed and agreed that Atupele should support a motion by the MPs to ask Speaker of the National Assembly, Catherine Gotani Hara, to bring the issue to a vote in the plenary for its adoption or rejection, whereupon UDF and DPP MPs will torpedo the motion down like they did the last time it came to Parliament.
Meanwhile, the UDF MPs are also not happy with Atupele’s zigg-zagg attitude of jumping from one partner to another and also of negotiating coalitions and alliances without thorough consultations with his party.
Said the source: “The UDF MPs are planning to call for an emergency meeting with the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) where they want to demand comprehensive TORs of the new agreement which Atupele is planning to fashion with Mutharika this time around. The general feeling within the party is that the UDF should look for other partners and not DPP because the ruling party comprehensively fooled them prior to the May 2019 elections, including plotting Atupele’s downfall in his constituency.”
Since he came back from his academic sojourn in China, Atupele Muluzi seems to have been on a frantic search for political partners. Only a few weeks ago, the mainstream and social media were awash with pictures of Atupele shaking hands with MCP President, Lazarus Chakwera apparently after a ‘fruitful’ meeting. This meeting with Mutharika also comes on the heels of a rumour that UDF is negotiating an alliance with UTM, where Atupele will be running-mate to Saulos Chilima in the forthcoming fresh elections.
It is also not clear whether this sitting of Parliament will actually vote for the adoption of the 50+1 law which Mutharika and Atupele are banking on so that their MPs should defeat the implementation at a vote. According to Gotani Hara, this sitting is merely meant to create a framework for the implementation of the 50+1 ‘majority’ law, not to make it law because it is already there in our laws as per the Constitutional Court judgement.
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Atupele ,he is power hungry individual , u went to MCP and DPP, munyamata iwe sukukalamba bwino.Kalande zomwe adalandidwa makolo.Adalandidwa upuresident mosakhala bwino.Udzabwezere wamva Atu. Mwina UDF nkubwerera mwakale.Those are good plans,alande akuwona abalalika.Tell your members of parliament to vote 50+1 %.Otherwise sukakhalako Ku parliament.The court ask members of parliament to put in place that 50+1% for future generations please, including UDF supporters, coz they are Malawians who are also suffering in the country.
FIRST AND FOR MOST,THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN UDF AND MUTHALIKA’S DPP IS A FAKE STARTER AND IT WONTS GO FURTHER THAN THAT.MUTHALIKA PUT ON THE SHOES OF HIS LATE CORRUPT BROTHER BINGU WHILE ATUPELE WEARS THE SHOES OF HIS MUSLIM FATHER WHO DID NOT GO FAR WITH EDUCATION BUT AT LEAST YOU CANNOT COMPARE TO MATHANYULA WHO HAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN OUR COUNTRY POLITICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.IT IS BECOMING A HOBBY FOR MALAWIANS TO BE ENSLAVED BY FAMILLY POLITICAL MEMBERS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE STOLLEN BILLIONS OF KWACHA TO BRIBE VOTERS.LASTLY ATUPELE IS JUST WASTING TAX PAYERS MONEY FOR HE CANNOT BECOME… Read more »
vote ili mmidzi so your opinions don’t count.
Kutumikira zoipa you will be judged by your character when you will most need Malawians.
Go Atupele go! UDF will be used and dumped again by DPP like a condom! Why cant you see? APM is good at making promises and then after the elections the Mulhako cliche will not allow you to enjoy the posts that you have been promised! There is no way Mulhako will let you get your share! Ask Chilima, DPP and APM can never be trusted. Try Chilima or MCP and not the DPP crooks!
MCP and UTM would do the same. It’s called politics!
Achimwene musataye nthawi. Those who come from these areas Zomba Machinga Chiradzulu know that Yaos have lived together peacefully ever since and actually most don’t care as there are many intermarriage. Actually JB had a Yao father and Lomwe mother. Duncan Mwapasa had a Lomwe Father and Yao mother. So to sit here and propose the idea that Lomwes can’t accept Yaos is very laughable. Actually some of the Traditional Authorities in what is termed ” Lomwe” belt are Yaos.
Section 80 (2) THE PRESIDENT SHALL BE ELECTED BY A MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORATE THROUGH DIRECT, UNIVERSAL AND EQUAL SUFFRAGE. The courts have interpreted that: MAJORITY = 50% + 1 vote, i.e. slightly over half of all the votes. This should be understood in contrast with “ABSOLUTE MAJORITY” = 2/3, as is required in other provisions, like the president’s impeachment in Section 86 (b). Our Constitution does not use the term “simple majority”. However one can argue that, in light of 86 (b)’s “absolute” majority, then 50+1 can be referred to as “simple” majority. Even so, “simple majority” will still… Read more »
Our constitution does not provide for 50+1 because it does not have a provision for second round of voting to achieve it. Unless, a constitution provides for second round of voting, it cannot not be said to mean 50+1. In their quest to favour certain political and ethnic groups, the ConCourt judges have imposed a wrong interpretation. One hopes, politics will sort out their overreach.
Atupele working with DPP is the best UDF can get.
The same mutharika’s played your father why not you. Don’t be fooled by fools unless you are a fool
They’re both fools.
Simples.
The law is there. Just need clarification. The word “majority” is a very simple word. Majority as put in the laws of Malawi means the majority of the total votes. Not majority among the contenders. Get a life and move on DPP dregs.
Use your own logic. If the majority in the constitution meant 50+1 why didn’t the framers put a provision for second round of voting. You must be gullible to believe the misguided conclusion of the 5 biased judges. The judges opinion on ‘majority’ has exposed their own intellectual weakness.
Well done Atupele. Good decision at a time when some people are trying to mislead the country.
What amazes me in Malawi politics is that parties are making coalitions BEFORE elections. It is wrong. For example DPP and UDF have different manifesto’s. What is the manifesto of a coalition between the two??? It means that the parties are basically cheating the electorate. People would not know for what program they are voting. Parties do this just to get into power not in the interest of the voters. Coalitions are formed AFTER an election, and not in the manner in which Atupele did it in 2014. He goofed badly. He did not realize how powerful the UDF was… Read more »
Sonke they are making coalition for looting even and they will come tp the masses to give them mandate to root. Very Sad. These are all failed politicians, both of the two have been i government and have dismally performed so we do not need them neither do we need their counsel they are a failed lot