President Peter Mutharika on Sunday night had a meeting with Peoples Party (PP) legislatures asking them to form an alliance with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Maravi Post can reveal.
The decision is to strengthen DPP power in Parliament as well as the coming 2019 by-elections in order to defeat the main opposition, Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
People’s Party (PP) secretary general Ibrahim Matola while confirming the development denied the report that he is the one leading the talks for working relations with governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying President Peter Mutharika met the party’s legislators including its president’s son, Roy Kachale at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Matola said the meeting with President Mutharika had followed another discussions held at Parliament Building with government delegation led by Leader of the House, Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Nankhumwa, who attended the meeting at Kamuzu Palace, said he could not comment but hinted there is “remarkable progress.”
The DPP is courting PP to have a working relationship in parliament to strengthen its voting powers.
Already MPs from DPP and its alliance partner United Democratic Front (UDF) are receiving K20 000 extra allowance from State House to motivate them to tow the government line in the House.
PP legislators will also be included in the package.
However, Matola said any arrangement Mutharika and DPP would want to have with PP, the party which formed government between 2012 and 2014 will need to have National Executive Committee (NEC) endorsement.
“Whatever negotiations are happening are for legislators themselves but the party will have to take its stand,” Matola said.
He said DPP is not proposing an electoral alliance but a loose working relationship for parliamentary issues.
Matola said Joyce Banda would have to be involved in anything being discussed, and that there should be immunity for her that she should not be arrested if she returns home.
But DPP sources said Banda is already involved and her sister Cecilia Kumpukwe is representing her in negotiations.
Among the PP MPs who attended the meeting with President Mutharika included former president Joyce Banda’s son Roy Kachale (Zomba Malosa), Kamlepo Kalua (Rumphi East), party spokesman Noah Chimpeni (Nkhata Basy South East.), Maquenda Chunga (Mzimba South), Ralph Jooma (Mangochi Monkey Bay) and Beatrice Mwale (Kasungu North),
Others who attended were Welani Chilenga (Chitipa North), Rev Malani Mtonga (Karonga south), Wallace Chawawa (Zomba Chingale) and Patricia Kayinga Nangozo (Zomba central).
However, three of PP lawmakers were excluded for their working relationship with Malawi Congress Party (MCP), they include Harry Mkandawire (Mzimba West), Racheal Mazombwe Zulu (Mchinji North) and Elias Wakuda Kamanga (Kasungu North East).