Written By James Odziwa
Malawi opposition parties appear to be grasping at straws as they find themselves in a very unattainable position. They were shocked when they lost in the May 2014 Elections to who they believed to be a flawed Candidate.
Peter Mutharika has since cemented his grip on power, cementing his support in the South and eating away at the little support Joyce Banda had in the Zomba region.
He has coopted the UDF solidifying the Mangochi. Machinga region.
Lazarus Chakwera and others know there is no path for them come 2019. So they seek other means for gaining power. However without a political coup there is no constitutional way to get to the Presidency.
Even If Mutharika resigned, He has his Vice President Saulos Chilima who is popular in his own way to take over. They definitely do not expect the whole Peter Mutharika government to resign and hand the Government over to them.
Their demands for the resignation of the President smack of desperation and lack of clear political thinking. Realising there is no path forward in 2019 they seek unconstitutional means to replace government.
However here they falter as well because what they seek requires massive uprising in the country. For DPP continues to enjoy majority support in the country. If elections were held today DPP would come on top.
Many objective thinkers understand Mutharika inherited a mess from Joyce Banda. The floods that hit the nation did not help matters. Reluctance of the donors to support Mutharika is also a contributing factor.
Malawi is relatively a small economy due to its low natural resources compared to its neighbours like Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. With this in mind it is difficult for any President to have a big turnaround within a year or two.
Lazarus Chakwera and others should explain to Malawians how they would turn this small economy around for their revolution or demands to be followed by many of us. Without telling us how they can achieve what they ask of Peter Mutharika, they need to wait for another drubbing come 2019.
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