In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed, primarily ideologically, to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, country or other political body.
The degree of opposition varies according to political conditions. For example, in authoritarian and democratic systems, opposition may be respectively repressed or desired. Members of the opposition generally serve as antagonists to the other parties.
Background
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is the major opposition political party in Malawi today. The party was formed in February 2005 by Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika after a dispute with the United Democratic Front (UDF), which was led by his predecessor, Bakili Muluzi.
The first General elections in which the DPP won were held in Malawi on 19 May 2009. President Bingu wa Mutharika ran for re-election; his main opponent was John Tembo, the president of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). Five other candidates also ran. The election was won by Mutharika, who was re-elected to the Presidency with around two-thirds of the vote. Mutharika’s DPP also won a strong parliamentary majority. His running mate was Joyce Banda. Bingu scored 2,963,820 votes representing a 66.17%.
MCP President John Tembo was considered the main opposition candidate, and the MCP formed an electoral alliance with the UDF before the election. His running mate was Brown Mpinganjira who scored 1,365,672 representing a 30.49%. Tembo’s vice-presidential candidate was Brown Mpinganjira of the UDF. Observing that the DPP had never participated in an election (it was founded in 2005), Tembo argued that he and the MCP had the experience to govern the country properly: “I belong to the past, I belong to the present and I also belong to the future.”
The second General elections for the DPP to win from the opposition side were held in Malawi on 20 May 2014. They were Malawi’s first tripartite elections, the first time the president, National Assembly, and local councilors were elected on the same day.
The presidential election was won by opposition candidate Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, who defeated incumbent President Joyce Banda.
Peter Mutharika came from the opposition and was declared the winner of Malawi’s disputed presidential election. The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party obtained 36.4% of the vote, the electoral commission announced. The outgoing president at that time, Joyce Banda alleged the vote was rigged.
The third General elections for DPP to win were held in Malawi on 21 May 2019 to elect the President, National Assembly, and local government councilors. President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party was re-elected, with his party remaining the largest in the National Assembly. However, on 3 February 2020, the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election results due to evidence of irregularities and ordered fresh elections to be held. They were widely dubbed the “Tipp-Ex elections” after a brand of correction fluid that opponents claimed had been used to tamper with votes.
The fourth Presidential election was held in Malawi on 23 June 2020, having originally been scheduled for 19 May and later 2 July. They followed the annulment of the results of the 2019 presidential elections, in which Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party had received the most votes.
The e-run elections had a victory for Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party, who defeated Mutharika by a margin of 59% to 40%. However, nine political parties came together to ally in a bid to oust the DPP. In my opinion, the major partners in the Tonse alliance were MCP and UTM; these two were the absolute winning formula going by the disputed 2019 presidential election figures.
The elections were hailed by observers as being both free and fair. According to my perception, the re-run was marred with intimidation and violence for the DPP monitors. Many of them were beaten and chased away from polling stations, especially in the central region, the stronghold of the MCP. Therefore, the fresh elections were not free and fair in a way.
Infighting
The infighting, arrogance, and injunctions have just become too much for the opposition to listen to. This scenario has boringly stayed in the DPP and for how long they will continue to fight, we don’t know.
While DPP supporters out there are tired of this drama, I don’t know if the party leadership will ever come together and work as a team.
Why DPP lost
There are many reasons why DPP lost government in 2020 but in the interest of space, I will mention just a few of those reasons. I am made to believe that the power struggle and the oil down syndrome that has exposed itself today is the same reason the DPP lost elections in 2020. Some people who were entrusted with leadership positions were of double standards and not loyal to their party and leadership. They worked with the DPP during the day and other parties at night during the same campaign period for the same election for their reasons.
Malawi in is only the second African country to annul a presidential election, after Kenya in 2017. It is the first in which the opposition won the re-run. In my opinion, the panel of judges who presided over the presidential case received bribes from the opposition MCP and UTM through some financiers who worked behind the scenes.
The DPP tried to pay a bribe as well to the same judges through Brown and Thom Mpinganjira but I think it was too late for them to do so. I also think the amount offered by the DPP was on the lower side than what had already been offered by MCP and UTM.
The court which handled this case tactfully introduced 50+1 interpretation as the only possible way to oust the DPP government and it worked for Tonse. If this interpretation was not introduced, the outcome of the fresh presidential election would not have changed the results. I believe the DPP would have carried the day.
Suggestions
The DPP needs to stand up and resolve the conflicts going on in the party. Deal with the challenges now once and for all. Sit down and find out where the problem is coming from and stamp out the mess.
Conclusion
Millions of Malawians have been disappointed by Tonse Alliance Government and they don’t seem to care at all. This is not the government they wanted, probably, this is a different government altogether. All promises by Tonse have not been met besides the citizens are struggling today more than ever before. Life is more complex than they worked a few years ago.
The next option is for the opposition to take over the government and change leadership because nothing is working. DPP remains the biggest opposition party that could win the next election but the major setback is the never-ending fighting which has continued to take center stage for a very long time.