UTM primaries no blindfolding of candidates: Kabwila tips on credibility
Newly registered UTM has announced that its ambitious primary elections conducted in all the 193 parliamentary constituencies and 462 local government wards simultaneously this Tursday on January 3 will not have candidates blindfolded as is traditionally done.
But the party has rescheduled the Mchinji polls to Saturday.
UTM, which prides itself as taking a transformative approach to politics, says voters will still have to queue behind their preferred candifdates in the primaries.
“Out candidates will not be blindfolded and they will follow events thus avoiding scenarios where some feel cheated,” said UTM director of publicity Joseph Chidanti Malunga.
“As a party, we will ensure that the primary elections are free, fair and credible. UTM as a party, will not influence the results of the votes or manipulate the results in favour of any candidate,” he said.
He said the Mchinji primaries polls have been put on hold after aspirants and district officials asked for more time to prepare for the highly contentious UTM primary elections.
In Salima south west, UTM’s new member, maverick Jessie Kabwila who has just defected from the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) faces Moses Buwa, a candidate whom she could have faced in MCP primary elections but defected to UTM after the polls in the constituency were postponed twice and he got frustrated.
Speaking at a rally addressed by UTM president Saulos Chilima and Njerwa in Lilongwe, Kabwila asked the party officials managing the primaries to ensure “transparency” and “credibility” in the polls.
She said most of the conflicts happening in other parties are arising from the fact that the parties have already endorsed their preferred candidates and not necessarily those that the people on the ground want.
Kabwila said UTM needs to learn from the challenges that other parties have been facing in their primaries, pointing out that they cannot endorse candidates against the people’s preferences in respective constituencies and wards.
She said people in her constituency want to align themselves with Chilima because he is a leader who has a passion to liberate them from poverty and hunger they have been facing for too long in the district.
In Karonga North, Vincent Ghambi who defected from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) a few months ago was at the centre of controversy after some aspirants accused him of deliberately delaying the venue for the primary elections.
Ghambi however trashed the accusations, saying he was not responsible for organizing electoral colleges and venue for the party polls.
Political commentators yesterday cautioned UTM to tread carefully with their decision of holding all the primaries at once with tripartite elections in less than five months.
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Mr. Moses Buwa is not a rollover, and Ms. Kabwila could lose the primary here in Salima NW.
Wouldn’t that be something! UTMM are now realizing that talk is cheap: talking (while under the influence of alcohol), planning and executing elections are not synonymous.
Desperate people are joining utm
All the best to all members of UTM
Kabwila did not defect to UTM, she has simply dumped MCP and joined UTM
The fact is that MCP did not want Jessies, she is the one wakhala akukakamila even if she was not wanted in the party and now she has found space where all who have been rejected by their former parties belong. If she had won she could have still been MCP.
The same difference
JJ Mbewe pathfinder , just close your mouth zimene ukunenazo ukumuhuza ndani ngati ukuona utm sikwanisa kuikamo antu 193 osangowandiza , chisilu cadet ngati wopanda nzeru ngati , stop fooling people iwe ndika cadet your better at kuocha ma galimoto you can advice people on , pakamwa ponyasa galu iwe
JJ Mbewe the pathfinder, kodi iweyo osayambisa chipani chako nkuikamo antu monsemo bwanji mukudandaula ngati utm ndiyakunyumba kwanu bwanji asiye ndi chipani chimenecho , sizachibwana ngati zapakamwa zongonena za iweyo , makape ngati daily mungokala pa front page kususa zintu zosakukuzani bwanji , cadet ngati uzilangiza zo ocha magalimoto , pakamwa ponyasapo
kkkkkkkkk eeeee tembo koma ndiye wakwiyatu? Chilunngamo chapweteka? Ona pano mumati ma primaries anu achitika tsiku limodzi yet mukuchita zosiyana. Mukulepheretsa madera ena ponama kuti kukuchitika zipolowe yeti zipolowe zoyambitsa nokha eni ake ndicholinga chooti mube nthawi chifukwa chootikulibe anthu okuyimilirani?
I wonder when you say UTM is going to filled all 193 seats or candidates. I am from Mulanje Bale and believe me no one has taken serious of this party, even pa maliro ma chairman amatchulidwa ndi a zipani za DPP, UDF, MCP komanso PP. And ndikimudzitu uku komwe kuchokera ma vote. Tsono ngati UTM ikulephera kuchita present chairman wao wa mmudzi pamaliro, muli sure kuti anthu angamudziwe shadow MP wao? So far kulibe UTM madera a Mulanje bale, kwa nsona, kwa lumaala, ku mimosa. and awa madera akwathu, i don’t think kuli utm ku thyolo kuja anakachititsa msonkhano… Read more »
Mukunama akulu inu. Measure of party popularity cannot be based on participation of party district chairman at funerals. Which era are you stuck in?!!
KKKKKKK BigMan ndichilungamo aise, Pita ukafufuze madera ndathulawo mpaka kwa nsona, UTM ndi mwerera.
A Kabwira mwasoketsa liti zimenezi? Ife timadabwatu makani aja kani munali ndi nsalu za UTM kunyumba eti? Bola musakolaneko ndi Kaliati kumeneko. Zabwino zonse ku ma primaries. Koma nanga mukagwa ndiye mulowera kuti MACHINE? Inu mungathe kutsatira inu? Simunazolowera kutsogolera basi?
The process is the same whether the primary is held on the same day or not. Why do Malawians always fear change, you vote for president and MPs on a single day, whats the fuss with doing party primaries in the same way?
Frankly i wish we could do away with all this chaotic running to stand behind a candidate as if we are electing entertainment prefects at secondary school. Why cant people go and put a ballot in a ballot box?
I totally agree with you….the queuing up is very primitive. After all the primaries would have been used as rehearsals for the actual elections…
But don’t you think that this has already been tried by other parties such as MCP and have seen that it cannot work? To me, it is not the procedure you follow but the character of people behind the procedure that is being used. If you have crooks no system will work. For your information, MCP has used the current system for years. Even during the one-party state they used this system. I was there and I have seen that this system is much better than some people want us to think. Remember that experience is the best teacher. Don’t… Read more »
First of all there must be clear understanding of who is a delegate. By definition a delegate is a person authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference. Most of these people whom are seen fighting and being rowdy at these primaries dont look like delegates to me, more like relatives, hired thugs, houseboys, debtors and friends of the candidates. Proper delegates must be chosen by the party to represent people in a particular area. The second problem is the huge number of delegates, you dont need a thousand delegates, that simply creates chaos, a… Read more »
VERY CORRECT!
I also agree with those who look at this process of electing candidates by lining up as very outdated and primitive method of electing candidates.. As somebody has already commented, are they really delegates who line up behind somebody. Some are transported from different places. to me whether there are 20 delegates, people will vote and the winner will be declared rather than having thousands of people at the primaries
Voting by secret ballot requires a voters register, thus need for registration first. And number of voters can’t be variable.
Ngati munazolowera kuba of course simukonnda UTM . Anthu a ku Malawi mulibe vision ndiye mukhala conco!
klkkkk ok.watching