Uladi calls for united front, says Mutharika cannot be defeated with fragmented opposition

Opposition Peoples Party acting president Uladi Mussa is suggesting a strong opposition party unity to field one presidential candidate in 2019 inorder to oust President Peter Mutharika from power on the ballot box  in 2019 elections.

“We have not yet discussed this year as opposition partiesbut as an expert in politics who has an honarary degree, we can only oust the President from power at the ballot box only if we unite,” said Mussa in a radio program on Sunday.

Peoples Party is in political relationship with the main opposition, the Malawi Congress Party both inside and outside parliament.

Some political experts have been speculating that Peoples Party would support the presidential candidacy of Lazarus Chakwera, the Malawi Congress Party leader.

PP president and founder Joyce Banda is in self imposed exile for two years running.

Mussa said the country is facing a myriad of problems, including broken economy, persistent power blackouts, shortages of water, saying this is the reason enough to vote the Democratic Progressive Party out of power.

He accused the Mutharika administration of slowness in dealing with problems facing the country.

Mussa said the DPP can only be kicked out if the opposition unite and field one president during the 2019 presidential elections.

The DPP is in political alliance with the United Democratic Front and other political experts speculate the party will not field a presidential candidate but will instead support the candidacy of Mutharika.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) of The Economist magazine says Mutharika may have an edge over the opposition but could slip if the economy worsens.

The EIU—in its 2016 second quarter forecast report for Malawi generated on June 28 2016—sees MCP leader Chakwera as Mutharika’s biggest threat with his anti-corruption platform.

“We expect Mr Mutharika to stand for re-election and, since regional affiliations ultimately determine the outcome of Malawian polls, the incumbent’s continuing popularity in the most populous Southern Region will give him an edge. The MCP and its leader, Lazarus Chakwera, will campaign on a message of anti-corruption, but it will struggle to offer any viable policy alternatives.

“Nevertheless, should an economic recovery fail to take hold prior to the polls, the MCP and Mr Chakwera stand to gain. The popularity of the previous president, Joyce Banda, will remain weak, following revelations of widespread misappropriation of public funds during her tenure,” explains the report.

Chakwera came a close second to Mutharika in the 2014 presidential race in which he swept the Central Region vote while it was the populous Southern Region vote that propelled the incumbent President to victory.

Regionalistic politics, the power of incumbency and a disorganised opposition make Mutharika the favourite, according to EIU

Mutharika disclosed that he will seek re-election.