By Isaac Salima:
United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi has revealed that his party was discouraged to go into an electoral alliance with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) because of tough conditions.
Muluzi, speaking in an Exclusive Interview on Times Television on Saturday, said the DPP has been demanding presidential candidate and running mate positions, a development he said frustrated efforts to pursue alliance talks.
“We have had talks but where we are failing to agree is the party’s stand on conditions where they [DPP] are saying that both the presidential candidate and running mate should come from them,” he said.
The UDF leader further said in an alliance, decisions must be made by both parties.
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“In an alliance, you agree on how you are going to approach the elections. You agree on who is going to represent the coalition. If you are not agreeing on that, the alliance cannot happen. The problem with DPP is the succession plan. They are afraid that if something happens, then UDF can take over,” Muluzi said.
Muluzi also said if parties in the Southern Region will not form a coalition, they were going to divide the votes.
The UDF president also dismissed reports that the UDF would partner the governing Malawi Congress Party in the forthcoming polls.
“I will stand as UDF presidential candidate. I have met president Lazarus Chakwera on several occasions but we have not discussed the issue of an alliance. The allegations are coming from those who do not want UDF to stand alone. All those rumours are a lie and you should not believe them,” he said.
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Muluzi also maintained remarks he made during a whistle stop tour of Machinga District last week that DPP president Peter Mutharika “is old” and “should rest”.
“That Mutharika is old is a fact. I respect Dr Mutharika and I consider him as my father. However, there was hope that we [UDF and DPP] might go together in the elections and we thought this was the time for young people,” he said.
DPP recently released a statement where it made it clear that if the party goes into an electoral alliance ahead of the September 16 polls, Mutharika would be the leader.
The party further indicated that Mutharika would have a final decision on who to pick as running mate regardless of being in an alliance.
Last week, the party’s secretary general Peter Mukhito insisted that they stand by their earlier position on the issue.
“Our constitution provides that it is the prerogative of the president to appoint his running mate inside or outside the party,” he said.
Mukhito said it was not automatic that when a party goes into an alliance with the former governing party, it would get a presidential or running mate position.
“It is high time Malawians explored other means of [forming] alliances which can be workable, unlike where one insists that ‘if ‘I go, I will be number two’. You also have to look at the strength of parties,” Mukhito said.
