PP, Freedom Party welcome UTM into MCP alliance

Former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) and Freedom Party say the coming in of UTM into the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) alliance is a political game changer on the country’s political terrain.

Freedom Party president Khumbo Kachali – the former State vice-president –  said UTM has now fulfilled aspirations of Malawians by accepting to be in the alliance.

“This is what Malawians have been asking for and we are happy with their coming,” he said.

PP publicist Ackson Kalaile Banda said the coming in of UTM into the alliancefold would fulfill the alliance agenda of fixing Malawi.

He said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government has virtually demolished all democratic and economic gains made in the past and Malawi needed a new government to fix problems the country is facing now.

MCP and UTM are expected to sign the alliance deal on March 19 in Lilongwe.

UTM said in a ststement that the decision to form electoral alliance with MCP was reached in the wake of a “groundswell of support for a united front” among Malawians.

Malawian parties have been racing to seal alliances since last month, when the southern African country’s top court ordered a fresh election after it annulled the May 2019 poll results over widespread irregularities — in particular the “massive” use of correction fluid on tally sheets.

Last week, incumbent President Peter Mutharika, who is fighting to retain the country’s top job, clinched an electoral deal with the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by Atupele Muluzi, former president Bakili Muluzi’s son, who came fourth in last year’s election.

Parties are under pressure to amass an overwhelming number of votes after the Constitutional Court ordered that from now on, a candidate should be chosen by more than 50 percent of the ballots cast.

Previously presidents were chosen under the first-past-the-post system which saw Mutharika win last year with just 38.5 percent of the votes cast, narrowly beating MCP’s Lazarus Chakwera, who scored 35.4 percent.

UTM’s Saulos Chilima came third with 20 percent of the vote.

Last week the MCP said it believed in harnessing “the national gains that both parties have cultivated” over the last year when they both fought in court to have the election results overturned.