UDF nods alliance, guides Atupele on ‘what’s good for Malawi’
The United Democrat Front (UDF) held its National Executive Committee (NEC) extraordinary meeting on Sunday, February 16 2020 in Blantyre where it endorsed plans to enter into an electoral alliance for the forthcoming fresh presidential elections.
According to UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga, the meeting discussed the constitutional court judgement and its implications on the politics of the country.
Ndanga said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times that NEC also discussed a report from the party president Atupele Muluzi on his meetings with leaders of major political parties in the country and potential electoral alliances/coalitions.
“NEC unanimously resolved to work with other political parties and gave guidance to the party and the president of the UDF on how to proceed with an electoral alliance that is in the best interest of Malawians,” Ndanga said in a statement.
“NEC agreed that any electoral alliance should not compromise the values and principles of which the UDF party stands for including respect for the rule of law.
“This means that the UDF party will respect the constitutional court ruling and implement its directions especially on the issues which will have to be implemented in the National Assembly where UDF is represented,” the statement added.
Ndanga said UDF party NEC agreed that the alliance should should be designed in such away that it brings about much needed stability and unity in the country which is in line with the ‘Agenda for Change.’
He said NEC noted that the country is in a serious political crisis which needs decisive political interventions.
Ndanga said NEC resolved that the UDF leadership should immediately engage its grassroots and other stakeholders on the how the party will approach the 2020 elections fresh presidential elections.
Commenting on the statement, governance expert Makhumbo Munthali said UDF is only trying to be cautious in communicating it’s preference alliance choice for fear of being duped.
“While it is apparently clear that UDF would prefer partnering with DPP to MCP or UTM, they seem to be treading with caution in fully committing to this for fear of a repeat of events that happened prior to 2019 elections where after all the hope that Atupele would be running mate to Mutharika they were duped at last minute,” said Munthali.
“So all they are trying to do now is to put pressure on DPP to be proactive in making such a commitment while at the very same time not closing doors to any possible alliance with MCP or UTM.”
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Alliance of a Muluzi and Mutharika! These two families have ruled Malawi since 1994! Mwatopetsa…basi mukapume! Atupele..who told you that you cannot live without a government salary? You either want to be a minister or an MP! No wonder your constituents voted you out..anatopa ndi dynasty politics!
Some ppl r I’ll minded becoz they kno thy will neva rule Malawi. Muzingo uzidwa ngati ma condom muziwanso. Maka maka aku kaya uku. Hahaha. UTM and MCP will only make merry with u for votes. Vote AFORD and u shall atlst be proud u have a belonging. Komanso Atati aliyese apite ku mudzi kwawo u can claim the presidency. Meanwhile, keep being used as cheap whores hahaha
The UDF and DPP are family parties whose core value of theft.Between 1994-2003-the UDF sold a number of companies in Malawi.The law at the time provided that an audit of the privatization proceeds be done and published.This audit during the UDF was done but because of the rot that was done, half of the Cabinet had their hand in the kitty.A decision was made not to publish the report todate.As for the DPP, theft and nepotism has been their mantra.Let them join hands in theft and I am sure any sane Malawians will not vote for them.
ZIPANI ZAKUBA IZI.
Sizakampenitu apa sanasegulile mumangidwatu
I wonder people are following this party with no direction.It is just fooling their supporters
Bakili Muluzi family are very selfish people. Why would this young man not strengthen his own political party instead he is joining DPP kuti adye nawo. UDF chips I cha a yawo. Less educated people. Machende anu Atupele munthu wa dyera iwe.
Sorry baba
That being un Malawian, what has he done to you or what did the yao people do to warrant such. Yes you seem to hold yourself education, but does your conduct reflect the same. Please avoid comment that can not build this nation, yao or no yao if this boat sink all of us shall perish.
Thats being un Malawian, what has he done to you or what did the yao people do to warrant such. Yes, you seem to hold yourself educated, but the your conduct reflects not the same. Educated but not learned. Please avoid comments that can not build this nation, Yao or no Yao if this boat sinks all of us shall perish. So its high time you start giving constructive suggestion given what you feel would be right for a common Malawi irrespective of political, social, religious or tribal inclination.
why would you kutukwana it not gud in fact you will not vote. is it just because lucky of social media knowledge ovota alikumuzi pheee
Wakwiya ndi mfiti
This game of urs wl only b achieved by passing the 50+1 bill otherwise if not ul just be used as a condom tn b thrown away into the trash
Kodi atupele ali ndi masapotabe?
Ten mps it’s enough
Confused soul
Atupele reminds me of the Prodigal son, the lost soul in the bible. I think that is the best way I can describe him
What kind of alliance are you talking about??? I thought you are already in alliance with DPP?? you worked for Maliseche for 5 years
Sorry better know what
@ Riza anthu sachedwa kuiwala kuti bakili’s is the one who created the mess we’re in today,greed,my pains me when they say bakili is a Democrat,in my opinion kamuzu was better than bakili interms of integrity,he accepted defeat with dignity,whilst bakili wanted to rule forever after his term expired,now he wants his son to partner dpp,bakili is not thinking straight,what will happen in 5 or 10 years to come?if they lose kaya
DPP is the best partner for UDF.
Yes let them seal south and should strive penetrating centre and north
As always this is only for the benefit of Atupele alone and not UDF. Like father like son.
Atupele, you have all the years ahead of you physically and politically. Dont finish off the little that is left of UDF. Teaming up with DPP will destroy you and your party. Make a wise decision for once!
The party of greed. Malawi is in pain today because of Bakili’s greed. Please don’t lead us to hell again. For those who don’t know, read this.
When the winds of change started blowing in Malawi in 1992, most of us were eager to see change to the politics of the day. Fortunately, Kamuzu was gracious enough to accept the will of the people to practice pluralism, aka multiparty politics. In those days, people were fed up with MCP. Mind you MCP was the sole party then and by default we were all members of the party. So don’t believe those people that paint the holier than thou picture. Most of the politicians you see today were once MCP diehards.
Three major candidates emerged in the run for the Presidency under plurism. Chihana, Kamuzu and Muluzi. I don’t remember if this was the year of Bingu’s failed attempt under his United Party where he bagged 9 votes. Muluzi carried the day at the polls, with Kamuzu as a close second. There was no rigging at that time. Kamuzu, once again graciously accepted defeat and paved way for Muluzi to take over.
Most of us voted with our balls, not our brains. A pure case of the grass is greener on the other side. All we wanted was to get rid of Kamuzu and the MCP. Within a few years we realized that it wasn’t really bad under Kamuzu, public schools preserved quality, hospitals had drugs, crime was low, corruption was nonexistent.
Slowly the nation began to crumble under Muluzi’s era, corruption crept in plus all the other ills. President Muluzi was a joker, an entartainer on the podium but no policy head or substance. Although he had some good people around him, the likes of Aleke Banda, Justin Malewezi and others, most were plunderers, out to enrich themselves at the expense of the common man. The ten years he was in power, the solid institutions, the classy public service that UDF had found, disintegrated.
Some of us were hopeful that things would improve after Muluzi passes the mantle to Justin Malewezi, the state vice President at that time and a well respected technocrat. He was the natural successor. Muluzi on the other hand had other ideas, Malewezi was not good enough he would say at public rallies. He pushed an amendment to the constitution in parliament to allow him to stay for a third term. The bill failed by three votes. Devastation and panic followed. Muluzi wanted to hold on to power somehow and he knew he could not do that under Malewezi. At that time Bingu Mutharika was back in the country having been dismissed from PTA Bank. Bingu was broke. Muluzi saw him as an easy prey, let me prop him up and he will etarnally be thankful. He thought it would be easy to twist Mutharika to dance to his tune.
Rumours were rife that he is grooming Mutharika to take over from him. Mutharika was given a job as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank and within a short time appointed as the Minister of Economic Planning. Then Mutharika was imposed on the party as the anointed successor to Muluzi. Mr Malewezi, an able vice president was sidelined. Greed had shown its ugly head. Muluzi did not have the wellbeing of Malawians at heart when making that decision. Greed and his pockets drove the decision.
Briefly that’s how we ended up in the mess of today. Muluzi broke his back campaigning in the run up to the elections, an election also purportedly stolen.
Malawi, this is your chance. Don’t fall for Muluzi ever again. He will not succedbin leading us to darkness again!
I agree with most of what you have said but for us who lost our father during MCP. Nothing ever will erase the memories. Just because of being Jehovah’s Witness. Very unfair. An estimated 4800 people were butchered. Some of us knew each other but we could not discuss. As if a joke there was a year at Kamuzu Academy where the headgirl and head boy were children of men killed by the MCP.
I think what I’m trying to say here is that the story can be told differently based on how people lived during the time. In a country of 18 million people, there are 18 million views about anything.
I see where you’re coming from. MCP is indeed the party of darkness and doom. We’re a cursed country! DPP is such a corrupt force that it shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the govt coffers. UDF is no different. In fact, the only reason Atupele is still in politics is to ensure his crooked dad never goes to jail. UTM? I should confess, I know very little of the party apart from it’s charismatic leader. But folks like Kaliati do not instill confidence in me. Chilima’s VP is literally a joke! No kidding!
Wawa, I am very sorry to learn of the tragedy that befell your family and others during the one party rule. Killing on the basis of religion, race or tribe has no place in modern society and I am in no way condoning those atrocities. My sentiments were based on a generalized view of the social and econonic wellbeing of the population pre 1994 and post referendum and the deliberate decay that ensued during the Muluzi era.
That’s the truth,Riza you are a true Malawian who really knows where things went wrong.And Muluzi wanted Bingu wa Munthalika to give the power to his Son Atupele. Greedy at its best.
If UDF wants to remain in opposing they must continue playing with DPP (mkango ndi mkango) late us wait and see
they have little to offer, whichever way
My advice to atupele is simple, you don’t beat the best, you learn from them. uhuru kenyatta swallowed his pride and supported kibaki during the latter’s final term and later succeeded him.
Whereas Raila odinga fought the best and is still fighting……
Brilliant comment. What matters in politics is a clear strategy and good arithmetic
My free advice to UDF is for the party to support 50+1 in parliament. This will ensure continued relevance of UDF and other “small or dwindling” parties because the small parties will be king makers. At the moment, neither MCP nor DPP can garner 50+1 alone. They will need the smaller parties.
in this system, if no party gains 50 + 1, there is a second round of voting in which no 1 & no 2 only contest. This way one can easily get 50 + 1 of the votes.
50+1 will make small parties irrelevant by confining them to being alliance junior partners.
Good development but those serious to enter into alliance with us should bring the terms clear on the table and agree on the way forward.
UDF is not a small party, it has more than 2million supporters on the ground and whosoever partner with UDF must be having good sleep and dream in colours.
You must be having good sleep yourself. UDF brand has been in decline, due to greed (like all politicians) and poor leadership. By the way, where were the 2 million supporters on May 21, 2019?
History in malawi politics has showed that all the so called big parties have only 1million + supporter not a single party has over one million despite spreading tip ex or rigging of any kind so don’t mislead us that UDF has over 2million supporters on ground if so the UDF could carry the day and not end at distant fourth
I AGREE WITH YOU UDF HAS MORE THAN 2,000,0000 SUPORTERS ONLY THAT SITIMAVOTA TIMADZIWA KUTI OLO TIVOTE ATIBELA KOMA THIS TIME TIVOTA CHIFUKWA CANDIDATE WATHU AKHALA VICE PRESIDENT WA MALAWI