UTM candidate pulls out of primary elections in Karonga central
Hours before UTM Party conducts primary elections in Karonga Central Constituency to elect a candidate for the forthcoming by-elections, Florence Shackie Nthakomwa, one of the aspiring candidates has pulled out of the race, citing creation of fake structures aimed to suffocate her bid.
In her letter addressed to the party’s regional governor for the North, Moses Mlenga, Nthakomwa has listed eight reasons as contributing factors that have forced her to withdraw from the race.
Reads the letter in part: ”Being a supporter of the party and a believer of the party’s President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima’s ideologies, it is against my conscious to take part in the proposed primaries because from the moment it was known there will be primaries in Karonga Central, the party leadership saw it necessary to shun me in so many possible ways disregarding the fact that I was the sower of UTM Party in that constituency and the only candidate during the 2019 Tripartite Polls.
“I have believed that UTM Party is very democratic and that has a listening ear no matter the level of the voice. However, it pains me to see that the democracy that our leader would like to sow amongst its followers is being destroyed by a few greedy leaders and believe they own’ the party”.
Nthakomwa in her letter, reminds the party’s politburo that she was part of the system that worked so hard to plant structures in Karonga Central for UTM Party that today are deemed as ‘Florence’s structures’, saying the leadership is forgetting that it is not destroying her but the party.
“I gave you my reasons for not partaking in the primaries. If I am to win, let me win honorably and it should be likewise if I am to lose. You are aware of the dents you and your team put by promoting one candidate before campaign started. The least you could have done is see sense in what I am saying on the fake created areas for the primaries and go for a voting manner that would rule out any biasness,”Nthakomwa said.
In an interview, Nthakomwa said it is unfortunate that the party leaders to be paying a deaf ear to her complaints to level the play field for primary elections scheduled for Saturday, September 12, saying she will contest as an independent candidate.
However, regional governor Mlenga feigned ignorance on the said letter of withdrawal, saying he had not received any communication from Nthakomwa.
Nonetheless, when quizzed on the allegations of lack of intraparty democracy and the creation of parallel areas, Mlenga said in UTM Party set up, all areas formed in 2019 Tripartite Polls had to be consolidated to accommodate new entrants and come up with new areas to conform the current party membership.
He said: “As a party we recognise efforts that she played in 2019 since she was the sole UTM party candidate in the Constituency. However, we had to form new party structures that would be acceptable by both candidates and she did not cooperate with constituency and district party structures”.
However, a renowned political commentator Sharif Kayisi has warned political parties to tread carefully as political bells ringing in Karonga Constituency are not making headways, saying sidelining someone who fought hard in 2019 to lay party structures for a new party in an area is detrimental.
He said: “The party’s politburo could do better to sort out the aggrieved candidates concerns. Political parties should democratically learn to accommodate members for the sake of avoiding splitting votes.”
Asked whether the party is making headways to promote female representation in the august house, Kayisi said the party’s secretary general has failed to utilise her position to promote her fellow women to decision making positions.
To achieve the equal representation in Malawi is a tall order as political party leaders fail to walk the talk. In reality, women are being pushed as leaders do not fulfil what they preach about 50/50 representation,Kayisi said.
However, UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati said UTM Party does not force people to do things out of their will, saying in a democracy, everyone follows their conscious.
She said: “I am also Minister responsible for Gender, Disability and Community Development I encourage a girl child to go to school so that when they finish school, they chose what to do.”
During the primary elections, Nthakomwa was supposed to face the new UTM party entrant Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo.
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She is just afraid to face Frank Tumpale.
The fact that she helped set up structures doesn’t guarantee that she should stand unopposed. She should prove her worth at the primaries by campaigning hard in those new areas that have been added to the ground. It’s a level playing field
Not long ago he was at loggerheads with Enock Chihana, he found solace in Atupele later, not long from that he is at UTM. Nkuluyu ngonyang’wa.
Tamva kudandaula kwanu koma osati chifukwa munayesesa kukonza ma structures a chipani ndiye kuti mukuyenela kukhala candidate pa by-election automatically ayi samatero osamakhala ndi mtima oti ichi ndichangachanga aloleni anthu ena alomwe chipani ndipo ngati ali ndikuthekela kokhala Mp apaseni mpata
Mai tangonenani zakuvutani
If she stands as an independent then surely she is not loyal to the party.
Tumpale is not in control of his conscience. He has sold himself to political prostitution. Look into his face he draws comfort from splashing his funds to prospective voters. The question is when will find a permanent political tent? A political nomad whose comprehensive delivery on policy matters is very strong but alas he seems to be a cat amongst the pigeons. A restless character who lost it to Enock Chihana. The UDF camp with its pitiful loss of its traditional court compounded by loss of Tupele’s political eclipse he is no longer a luminary Tumpale has no harbour where… Read more »
If Florence compete as an independent candidate this will divide the UTM vote, I therefore like to implore our UTM leaders to swiftly make a move and resolve this issue quickly….
Frank Mwenefumbo is a new comer to UTM after acrimoniously dumping Aford recently so why is he receiving preferential treatment over the likes of Florence who have paid with their sweat and blood to plant the UTM seeds in Karonga?
come on guys let’s do things differently. Level the playing field and let everyone have a fair chance. Blue eyed boys are what have destroyed many parties.
Blue’eyed boys’ – azungu?
Blue eyed boys = DPP boys, becàuse blue is their party color