Two ‘briefcase’ parties merge with Aford
Two opposition political parties have become part of the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and will formaly form what has been christened as the Aford Grand Alliance.
According to a statement made available to Nyasa Times, the political parties are the Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) of Kamlepo Kalua and the National Unity Party (NUP) of Harry Chiume.
They made their commitment to join Aford Grand Alliance during the joint Aford National Executive Council meeting held in Lilongwe on Monday.
The statement said the alliance will “drive the agenda of liberating, protecting and developing the people of Malawi.”
“The AFORD Grand Alliance shall endeavour to remain open and ready to work with other parties with common ideals,” said the statement signed by Aford’s secretary general Khwauli Msiska, NUP secretary Hawkings Munyenyembe and Frank Lisaupata the secretary of MDP.
“Under the banner of the AFORD Grand Alliance, Malawi is presented with a formidable alternative for political leadership come 2014,” the statement added.
“This coming together of our three parties is a direct response to demands by people across the country for a viable change against the background of threats to democracy, economic decline and all the other factors that have made Malawians miserable.”
The alliance’s main target will be national integration and that more opposition parties were expected to join them.
The three parties have also agreed among other things to work together and merge under the Aford flagship, saying that eventually the MDP and NUP will be ‘laid to rest’ prior to a national convention to be held in
The statement also said delegates at the NEC meeting congratulated Aford national chairman Enock Chihana for emerging triumphant in the Rumphi Central Constituency by-election which took place on 6th September, 2011.
The delegates also congratulated Zambia’s newly elected President, Michael Sata, and all the people of Zambia for peaceful elections and further observed that “there is a vital lesson to Malawi from our Zambian neighbours.”
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