Smoke and Thunder column: DPP drama group full of baby actors

Exit, as of now, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) comedy, enter the new play by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Drama Group.

Welcome the drama group on stage ladies and gentlemen, comprising mainly of baby actors.

What is happening in the ruling DPP is real drama depicting real political life with two main actors; President Peter Mutharika and Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC).

The battle for the search of party presidential candidate is now in another gear of infighting.

The problem in the DPP, to me, is not who will be the party’s torchbearer in the 2019 polls but, rather, the making of another dictator.

This is how the MCP monopolised power in the 1970s, this is exactly how Bakili Muluzi became too powerful in the early 2000s that he tried to change the Republican Constitution so that he could rule for a third term.

Malawians are good at making dictators, we are good at making and worshipping semi-gods we call presidents, making them feel and think they are larger than Malawi.

This country has moved on without those who ruled it from independence to 1994, the country is moving on without Bakili, the country has moved on smoothly without Bingu wa Mutharika, the country is doing well without Joyce Banda and Malawi will move on without President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM).

This is why I am not surprised that the DPP has come out full swing to convince us that it is only APM, andnot Chilima or Lazarus Chakwera, who can lead Malawi.

The DPP has already started the savage politics of purging those deemed to be supporters of SKC, the sacking of Lewis Ngalande is an example yet the DPP officials have the audacity to tell us that the relationship of APM and SKC is intact and good. The DPP surely believes that it is talking to babies.

What the APM faction in the infamous Hurricane Callista is doing is exactly what former first lady Callista Mutharika said that those who surround the 79-year-old president are misleading him or he allows himself to be misled because he is too old to make fair judgements.

Those close to the President fear that they would lose their daily bread if Mutharika decides to pull out of the presidential race in favour of the youthful, energetic and vibrant SKC.

The APM faction does not have the welfare of Malawians at heart but, rather, wants to push the president to cling to power for their own selfish reasons.

The APM faction is not putting Malawi First.

That is why they will do anything and everything to ensure that APM wins the party primary presidential elections, they will put a sham election. Remember what Chimunthu Banda experienced in the 2014 elections. Now, let me turn to the veep.

Chilima should be careful with the calls to have him compete with APM during the convention.

The DPP will not allow him to unseat Mutharika come rain or sunshine, come Jesus or satan.

The DPP will put a sham party election masquerading as democratic poll, make Chilima lose the election and get rid of him completely from the party, forcing him to curtail his political career prematurely. As I said before, remember Chimunthu Banda.

The DPP officials have already told us that, with or without the convention, Mutharika remains their torch-bearer in the 2019 presidential election.

Memories are still fresh of how the high rising political star Khumbo Kachale fell from above when he tried to challenge the Joyce Banda anointed runningmate, Sosten Gwengwe.

Kachale, full of life, fell terribly and sustained serious political injuries that are preventing him from getting up again and walk the elegant political career he once enjoyed for two years in the Peoples Party-led government.

Kachale’s political grave is dug, wide open now, just waiting for his political demise.

This is why I am warning Chilima to make his political calculations very carefully.

He should know that he is a political outsider in the DPP because he does not hold any political position; he is not even a district governor.

Chilima must know that APM has great control of the DPP, he has a grip on the party and he would not want it to slip to a person he has not anointed to take over.

The Vice-President should know that the DPP remains a family party, started by APM’s brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, out of frustration because Bakili wanted to pull the strings, to control Bingu’s presidency from BCA.

The DPP is a party born out of frustration, not out thirst for development agenda or Malawi First philosophy.

This is a party whose assets and bank accounts are in the name of its owner and sole shareholder in the name of APM.

If I had a chance to call Chilima, I would have advised him to ignore all the praises, all the political accolades that some supporters in the DPP are showering on him.

This is the time to remain muted. As he has already shown, do not comment on the Hurricane Callista issues at the moment but continue to make chess-like political calculations on how best to deal with the issue.

Forget the ‘babies cannot rule’ slur. This is the critical time for Chilima to make mature decisions, handle the situation in a very mature way and win the hearts of Malawians by showing maturity in the handling of those against his candidacy as the DPP torch bearer.

The DPP has expelled the director of the youth in the party. In the Northern Region, the DPP is calling for the head of vice northern region party governor, Afick Mbewe for simply coming out in the open to back the candidacy of Chilima.

This a proxy political war between APM and SKC, this is a political cold war between the two giant political bulls. Ngalande, Mbewe, Bon Kalindo and the other SKC faction are just ants between the two elephants.

Ngalande, Mbewe and the others are just victims of a real political proxy war between APM and SKC.

As the drama continues to unfold in this drama group comprising of baby SKC, the aged APM as its actors, Mutharika and the DPP should not lose focus of their mandate to rule Malawi!

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