By Alfred Manjawira
CHIKWAWA-(MaraviPost)-The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members in Chikwawa were on Friday defected to UTM.
This follows the rally the party held at Misewu 4 at Mgabu, village headman Mailosi in the district.
UTM Secretary General Patricia Kaliati alongside other senior party members including Willet Karonga and Lewis Ngalande visited the area for the first time after the high court ruling that saw the 2019 presidential elections nullified.
Kaliati “Akweni” as branded in political circles was a loud shout from the people’s mouths and the people mounted her car upon arrival despite that there was a heavy downpour.
To the surprise and as others ran for a shelter many stood still in rains attentively listening to Kaliati’s speech of hope as she unbundled UTM manifesto
The UTM’s secretary General said that huge turnout and the great defection of DPP supporters to UTM is a sign that Malawi as the whole has agreed to move forward not just for the sake of moving but to make a good progress towards the best future of all Malawians by making a best choice
“Time had come for the whole Southern region to regard UTM as a household brand. Time has come for us to do away with tribal and regional politics. Time has come for us to do away with nepotism and favoritism. UTM under the graced leadership of Dr Saulos Chilima is here in the South, in the central, East, West and North to impact the genuine development.
“We are going to vote again and this time no one should remain unregistered. Let us all come out in one force and great unity to help make Chilima and UTM our next government bearers”, Added Akweni.
Echoing on the same Karonga lauded the people for accepting the party in the region saying is only UTM that can carry this country forward and he also asked them to make a decision that will uplift their lives.
“We will step on every soil and will not give up on this country. Malawi is for everyone and we cannot sit and watch few people benefiting at the expense of you all. We shall fight until the battle is on. Stay strong and remain unmoved, for UTM is here to stay”, said Karonga.
Mgabu has for a while been unstable playground in politics for both DPP and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) but recently there has been evidenced a great shift since UTM’s inception in 2018.
UTM whose manifesto is centered on the future of the people and the strong anti- corruption drive is notably the first new party that had registered a million votes in 2019 presidential results to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) accordance.
