UTM denied permission to hold rally in Ndirande: Council says Malawi VP Chilima’s movement not registered
Blantyre City Council (BCC) has denied permission to United Transformation Movement (UTM) to hold a public rally at Nyambadwe Primary School ground in Ndirande which was planned for Saturday.
The movement—which is led by the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima who broke ranks with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and declared he will challenge President Peter Mutharika in the presidential race in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections— was scheduled to hold the rally in the squatter township of Ndirande to continue its mobilisation ahead of the election.
BCC Director of administration Lytton Nkata on behalf of chief executive officer Alfred Chanza, could not grant the UTM a go ahead for the rally because it has learnt that the Registrar of Political Parties’ has rejected of its application to register as a party.
“We regret to inform you that permission is hereby not granted for the United Transformation Movement (UTM) to hold the rally on the ground that it has come to the Council’s knowledge that you are not registered asa apolitical party,” reads the letter from BCC to UTM’s national chairman Noel Masangwi.
“As you are aware, Section 17 (2) of the Political Parties (Registration and Regulations) Act prohibits any political party or any combination that is not registered from electioneering or authorising any person to act on its behalf in connection with an election in which political parties contest,” reads the letter in part.
But observers said the decision to stop the rally could be infringing on Article 38 of the Malawi Constitution which is the supreme law of the land, which talks of freedom of assembly.
Deputy Registrar of Political Parties Chikumbutso Namelo said in a letter dated September 21 2018 addressed to Ritz Attorneys, the law firm representing UTM, warned the movement that electioneering when it is not registered is an offence under the Political Parties Act. The offence is liable to a fine of K2 000.
Electioneering, according to the Section 17 of the Political Parties Act, is not allowed unless a political party or “combination of persons” is registered.
BCC letter signed by Nkata said they have “evidence” which show that UTM has been holding similar rallies in the recebt past which were electioneering and it is likely that the intention of holding a rally at Nyambadwe groun is to continue electioneering while the UTM remains unregistered thereby knowingly committing an offence.
UTM spokesperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga said they will seek court relief.
He said UTM is determined to go ahead and hold rallies across the country .
This is not the first time that a new political party challenging the status quo of a governing party has been in trouble with the Registrar of Political Parties.
In 2003, three men Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, Thom Chiumia and Ken Ndanga thwarted attempts by Brown Mpinganjira to register his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) when they registered a political party in the same name then later changed it to New Dawn for Africa maintaining same acrynom NDA after the High Court battle.
In 2011, People’s Party (PP) started by the country’s then Vice-President Joyce Banda also had trouble registering the party when the Registrar of Political Parties rejected the application on the grounds that the abbreviation was too similar to that of People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) and Maravi People’s Party (MPP)
Meanwhile, UTM interim secretary general Patricia Kaliati said in the movement would respect the registrar’s decision and respond within the given 21 days.
She said the party would proceed with the convention slated for November 9 2018.
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Don’t give up Chilima. The devil will not succeed. God is with you all the way. People are suffering in Malawi. Fight for mother Malawi. People need you. DDP is afraid of you. They fear you. With or without a party, whether one wants it or not, your name will appear on the ballot paper. They are giving you a huge morale by their harassent and oppression.
SKC don’t you worry , if tikutakata pa ground , when these fools wake up they will not know what hit them
ma publlic servants like better be professional tha getting used…boma litha kusintha mutha kuzamva pheini..free advice
Kuopa ndende. These guys they prefer fellow corrupt gangs. They know SKC means business. Once he takes power next year onsewa athera mndende.
They are just protecting their back side. The pattern indicates the BCC favours DPP.
Are they not the ones who authorised the cadets to hold their demos parallel to CSO.
We are not fools.
You can help your DPP but know the people have the vote.
Thanks for the publicity.
if ppl are failing to folow simple proces of registering a political party,zinazi adzazitha?
Why not just use SKC party akakufunsani tanthauzo just say Sololani Kenako Chokani or Saulosi Kaliati Calister or Sapita Kawiri n’Chibwana… Etc
mkaika, this is wise thinking i am impressed
weather they want it or not chilima awavuta basi alibe mpata womukaniza the guy will move on nanga akanala Wa indepent a Blantyre city council akanamulesaso msokano umeneo, 2019 is coming wins aona ngati sapeza mavoti awili
SKC don’t worry, ife tikuyenda ya underground , UTM is unstoppable, when they finally wake up and realize what your foot solders are doing it will be too late for them……………INU OSATEKESEKA BWANA NDI MOTO KUTI BUUUUUUUU!
UTM held a rally where was this BCC. It seem someone who has rejected UTM to hold a rally is failing his duties and must be fired.
Lilongwe ,Mzuzu and Blantyre all these councils they dont know the rules of gathering .
DPP was my party but with stingy and their dont care behaviour i decided to not to registered and vote next year but coming of Chilima just the day after he introduced this at Masintha i registered show i for him basi.
SKC has formed a party called UTM. Please, it’s not United Transformation Party. Kkkkk
I wonder what the freedom of assembly as enshrined in the republic constitution is all about. Then ban all gatherings whether weddings, bars, prayer assembles or whatever because Malawians have freedom and a right to assemble
What else do you expect from the DPP? These guys are busy stealing Nandolo to fattrn their pockets. Nothing else surprises me.
Here are the facts, UTM will be registered and the rallies will go on with even more support.
The more DPP operatives try to delay the inevitable, the more support they create from UTM.
Mukuopa chani agalu inu?
The punches and fight have gone below the belt. UTM is getting free publicity in the process. The public will always sympathise with the underdog or those who are considered to be victims. UTM may just get a few sympathy votes
Mumva m’bebe a DPP. Chaka chake ndi chino. Simunati. Mbava zonse tikuzikhazika pansi. Time is running out for these thieves and thugs
And inu a Blantyre city Council, inu so ndi amene mwagulitsa nyumba ku DPP. Mulandu umenewo tausunga
Heee, DPP ya penga, paja timanena Dausi anali was young pioneer, lero wa Ku DPP a Ku sogolela maCadet, Ku yipomboneza DPP ngati MCP yakale. Blantyre city council a Malawi tinasakha ulamuliro wama ufulu.
Tinalembetsa mavoti chifukwa Kanagawa kannada kitchenware chilima…. And we cannot recind the decision no matter what…..block him any how,,,,Kaya azaima ngati independent candidate koma as far as his name is on the ballot ❌ paper 📄 vote is his 👉
Whether registered or not registered, my vote is for SKC, I can’t change this decision. Can only change it on one condition, that is if I die basi. Voting for Chilima is the only way to move forward….Viva SKC…….Viva Malawi
more votes for SKC
Apa ndiye zaonetsa kuti kuchita ndale ndi kugulitsa maunitsi ndi zinthu ziwri zosiyana kwambiri. Ndaphunziranso chinthu china kuti munthu uthakudzitamandira kuti ndiwe wanzeru komanso ophunzira kwambiri osadziwa kuti palinso anzako anzeru komanso ophunzira koposa.
sanjetu izi akulu inu
Today’s Nation Newspaper quoted Newton Kambala that his understanding is that UTM is a rebranded UTP, a duly registered political party. By rebranding UTP, does that require re registering it? The fact of the matter is that Chilima and his bootlickers have joined UTP of Newton Kambala, that the legitimate leader of that grouping is Kambala and not Chilima, that the intention of attempting to register UTM was to kick out Kambala from his own party, that by having his face on UTM cloth, which is similar to UTP’s cloth except for the face, was a clear case of stealing intellectual property and the wish of a person whose portrait is on that cloth to be grorified.
It is very clear, Chilima has got no political party. It is clear Chilima hoodwinked Kambala with the intention to steal his party as he tried to do with DPP.
We urge Kambala to reclaim his party and lead it because all the transformative messages the UTM is preaching are that of Kambala and not Chilima. Chilima must be sued for plagiarism.
You are perfectly spot on Hatton, i like you dude. Chilima is a thief and crook for real, he tried to steal DPP and now UTP. I now believe when some officials from DPP and MCP say chilima akuwabera manifesto awo. This guy and his bootylickers can not be trusted.
To me this ‘scandal’ just shows how lacking in strategy Chilima is. Smacks of a person who did not know where he was going, and I bet he still doesn’t. He is just being blown by the wind . I doubt Chilima did not know that names did not have implications on registrations, it’s everywhere in the world, and am sure he chose those similar names and colors on purpose, what he thought was strategic at that time. I’m sure if we ask Kambala privately he has been approached to be bullied off his intellectual property, but he is smarter than Chilima not to accept that, hence now Chilima is seeking public sympathy trying to play victim to his own foolishness of choosing a name that already exists. And it’s not surprising he can ‘think’ like that, with the likes of Winiko, Akweni and a bunch of sameold political thugs driving his strategy behind the scenes…Show us some brains and guts Chilima , if you have them that is!
akulu mumaidziwa plagirism????? kkk Mr Kambala ndi A Chilima anagwirizana popanga zinthu, nanga plagiarism mumagwirizana ndi author winyongati???
1. With due respect, Hatton, why is Kambala not filing civil charges? Could it be that the other side did not knowingly attempt to steal the intellectual property and use it for their personal gain? Or was the material not actually protected by intellectual property laws?
2. The said grouping should just do what they have been told to do rather than buy sympathy from the public. They can add one or two names to their political grouping but maintain UTM as an abbreviation if they so wish.
UTM may find themselves in Court many times, even before the elections, to bankrupt the Party, and park the bus in the ditch once and for all.
Chilima, Kaliati, Masangwi et al were NOT ready for this! Welcome to high stakes Politics.
2000?
Kwakhora.. More fire Saulos chiganizo cha vote tinapanga kale but force them into more blunders adziwa liti zimenezi?
court please