UTM/ MCP alliance talks take shape

Talks on a possible electoral alliance between Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM ahead of May 19 2020 fresh presidential election have started in view of the new 50 percent-plus-one threshold for electing President.

UTM Publicity Secretary, Joseph Chidanti Malunga, Thursday said the party had formed a negotiation team to discuss with MCP within the next two weeks.

“We have decided to have a team to begin engaging our counterparts in MCP. We want to explore the possibility of coming together and the mission of the team is to find out what is it we can bring in order to come together.

“From now to May 19, we have less time so this has to be done within two weeks. If you ask me how soon then definitely it has to be within the next two weeks,” Chidanti Malunga said.

MCP spokesperson, Maurice Munthali, referred The Daily Times to the party’s secretary general, Eisenhower Mkaka, who is handling the matter.

But Mkaka said he was at Parliament and would give feedback on the matter when he finds time. When we reverted to Munthali, he said reports that UTM have formed a team to engage MCP was a welcome development.

“That is good news but such things are up to the two parties to discuss,” Munthali said, adding that MCP has always been practical about issues of alliances, evidenced by the fact that it competed in May 21 2019 Tripartite Election alongside People’s Party and Freedom Party.

Development analyst Emily Mkamanga said it could have been better if the alliance were in Parliament “I think the alliance should just be for Parliament because now most people are talking of alliances because of the 50 percent + 1. They want to have many votes as possible but what parties are forgetting is that they can get a lot of votes by campaigning,’’ she said.

Early this week, Democratic Progressive Party formed an alliance with United Democratic Front.