UDF says alliance with troubled DPP is over
United Democratic Front (UDF) has said its alliance with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ended because it was an electoral pact.
UDF secretary general Kandi Padambo commenting on some members of the party who attended a rally organised by DPP vice president (South) Kondwani Nankhumwa in Blantyre, said the members were exercising their freedom of association.
Padambo clarified that the alliance was about the fresh presidential elections and that now that they are gone, there was no need to maintain the relationship.
“Of course we have a common denominator which is that both parties are in opposition so we still relate with each other very well,” he said.
Padambo said as a party, they do not have problems with ordinary UDF members attending DPP public rallies “after all we are both opposition parties.”
He said:“UDF members are free to attend political rallies even if Brown Mpinganjira of DPP holds a rally some people can attend in their own right. But as a party, we are done with the electoral alliance.”
Asked to clarify if his comment does not contradict UDF president Atupele Muluzi who said his party will maintain its alliance with DPP) up to the next general election, Padambo said working together as an opposition block does not necessarily mean alliance.
He said UDF will be operating as its own entity with its own direction.
Muluzi—who was running mate for former president Peter Mutharika in the court-ordered June 23 Fresh Presidential Election—said the two parties’ working together was important to ensure a strong opposition in the country.
However, Muluzi, who is son to former president Bakili Muluzi, said in an interview with Nyasa Times that the party has learnt lessons and that it will be consulting its members on key decisions, therefore it was not rigid on the way forward.
He said UDF was keen to embark on a rebuilding exercise.
The DPP and UDF working partnership goes back to Mutharika’s five-year term from May 2014. The two parties went into a working arrangement to guarantee votes in the National Assembly and support the government’s legislative agenda.
In that period, Muluzi held numerous ministerial positions. But in their arrangement pertaining to the fresh presidential election, Mutharika appointed three UDF members into various Cabinet positions, including Muluzi himself.
Currently, Mutharika is facing calls for an early convention to elect his successor after his defeat in the June 23 election. However, the former president has not taken lightly the calls and purging “renewal” faction which includes Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa, secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey, treasurer general Jappie Mhango and other members.
The development has led to formation of two factions with one being referred as DPP-Mutharika and the other DPP-Nankhumwa.
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Mr Padambo.is trying his best to attract the attention of president Chakwera. One can tell through the article he wrote in national newspaper and also the way he would want to distance his party from DPP. We know he is looking for employment
Koma a Padambo mukusiyana ndi a President anu bwanji? Atupele amati muyenera mukhalemo pa modzi did dpp kuti mukhale oposition yolimba mmalo mwake mwakhala oposition yosweka, mukononga dpp ndinuyo chifukwa anthu mu dpp sakufuna udf aMalawi sazavoternso udfo mMalawi muno ndi zikwanje zanu zija.
This is great news, aliyense athere payekha, mtundu wa AMalawi ndiwokondwa kwambiri ndi nkhani imeneyi
Mukuoneka kuti chikondwerero simumachina pafupi pafupi. Nanga munthu wanzeru zake akakondwere ndi zimenezi, let alone kukwiya nazo??
Zoooo
These two former ruling parties wasted 26 years of our time! I hope and pray that they should never ever rule Malawi again! Too corrupt and regionalistic….aka Mikuyu pact! They never wanted a non Southerner to rule this country! Let these two parties rot outside government!! Away with the Mutharika and Muluzi families…munatikwana!
It was a blessing in disguise to send both families packing at one go komanso in the same truck. Mulungu si Pitala ndithu
Mwakanika kuphetsa chubu chopopa nokha. Chikuphwera chokha.
DPP taking the same path
Olimbana ndi aDad aona chani? Hahaha dpp woyeee..?useless duo
Waste of time. That useless party can’t be revamped. The damage done by the Father to Son mediocrity can’t be reversed
Dpp has finished like MAKATANI A CHIMBUDZI
UDF ikutha a Chair ali moyo komanso mmanja mwa mwana wawo. He has no one to blame, kuyamba mwanayo kumunyenya pau MP kwao konko. Aford ikuthera mmanja mwa mwana wa malemu Chihana. PP nayonso itha mmanja mwa mwana wa Amayi, Kachali. DPP ikutha mmanja mwa brother kapena Uncle P aka Adadie. singati ufumu uwu kuti ndiwa kuntundu. Hope we will learn from this
Zikomo mwayi tha!!!! Fundo zonse dengu limodzi PP family property DPP family ship UDF family oxcart Aford khola no visionary leadership in these parties sorry kwambiri