By Kelvin Sulungwe
People, let us learn to tell each other the truth.
At the end of the day in all this, even if Fresh Elections are granted (a decision I still doubt, not not oppose up to date), it is Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) who will be truly winners.
Why? (Please, NO emotions).
Like I wrote soon after both UTM and MCP went to court to challenge the presidential election results, I said, it would have been very wise for UTM to challenge all election results, not just a fraction.
On May 19th, we had Presidential Elections, Parliamentary Elections and Council Elections. All these three elections were managed on the same day, same organisation and same people.
If there were problems on one election, it means the whole electoral process for the three elections was messed up, as such, everything needed to be challenged no matter the cost or the time. Instead, both MCP and UTM chose to challenge the presidential elections only ignoring the other two.
This is where it gets interesting. UTM did not put into consideration one very important fact. I will tell you.
Based on my experience during the campaign period, I found out that, when a presidential candidate is going to hold a rally at a particular area, people that are applauded or blamed for a turn out are the shadows (MPs and their councillors).
The knowledge above should tell you that shadow MPs and their councillors play a very vital role in mobilising people for a president. A rally is only successful when these people do their work and when they do not, it is usually a disaster.
In fact, it is Shadow MPs and Councillors who campaign for a president and they are the very same people entrusted with the job to identify Monitors who work during the elections day and are in touch with the party’s main tally centre.
According to May 21 elections' accepted results, MCP has more MPs and Councillors, same as DPP who also have these great numbers.
UTM only has 4 MPs and very few councillors, one of them being Leonard Chimbanga who has already jumped the ship to join DPP.
Funso mkumati, nanga pokapanga misonkhano, a president athu a UTM akafikira kwa ndani?
We know if Chakwera goes to Salima, he has MPs and councillors to mobilise people for him. If Mutharika goes to Nsanje, he has MPs and councillors to mobilise people for his rally. Who will do the same for SKC when he goes to Mchinji?
Similarly, before and on the day of voting, these existing MPs will play very vital roles for their candidates. They will campaign for their tirelessly and identify monitors to oversee proceedings on the voting day.
You can argue that each party has regional, districts and constituency governors, but these people are very useless. You are able to see them during campaign because they go to shadow MPs and Councillors to milk what they have. They are people who can switch allegiance at any given moment. They are rotten fish awaiting for a very fat ‘nyambo’ to take them home.
It would have been very important to challenge all elections. Those shadow MPs would have spent, again to try their second lucky and in the process, helping the presidential candidate. As it stands, most of them are very broke and in debts of May 21. They are bruised with no hope. What do you expect from them?
Unless, only, unless if plans are to go under MCP, but if not, people, let us learn to tell each other the truth no matter the cost. Even in the face of victory, UTM will be the biggest loser.
…………….Views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of the Publisher or the Editor of Maravi Post.
Total trash.
Don’t you know that a Presidential candidate can be popular and a hard-worker (in this case SKC) and have unpopular and lazy shadow MP’s.
The time was also a factor for UTM shadow MP’s as compared to the President who managed to criss-cross the country with his resources.
Tamalembani zoona osati kudalira chibanzi cha DPP.