little known Everton Chimulirenji choice as Mutharika’s runningmate
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi President Peter Mutharika has called for an emergency cabinet meeting following disagreements within the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politburos over little known Everton Chimulirenji choice as Mutharika’s runningmate for May 21 general elections.
Sources within state house confided in this publication disclosed that President Mutharika called the meeting on this coming Thursday February 14 at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre to sort out completely the runningmate fiasco.
“The President has called for emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday at Sanjika Palace at 9 am in Blantyre. The agenda is to sort out ma issues a running mate. If agreements wont be reached, some ministers are expected to resign later in that day’s evening.
“All ministers who were on duties up north and Central have been forced to cancel their assignments since this is a make or break away cabinet meeting. After, this meeting the President is also expected to have a cabinet reshuffle”, said impeccable source within the State House.
There was no immediate reaction from Mutharika’s press secretary Mgeme Kalirani on the rooming emergency cabinet meeting.
The Maravi Post has been carrying articles on how the mess governing DPP is into soon after Mutharika vied for Chimulirenji as runningmate.
The president’s choice has not gone down well with DPP inner circles including Lhomwe chiefs who think that Chimulirenji is a yardstick for the party’s down fall during the May 21 polls as is a weak runningmate.
DPP Politburos have been blaming First Lady Gertrude and the head of state’s trusted bodyguard Norman Chisale for influencing Mutharika to choose Chimulirenji as runningmate because they have common interests on the presidency, and come from the same home district of Ntcheu.
On Saturday, this publication carried a vox pop (opinion poll) on how popular was Chimulirenji in Ntcheu against Vice President Saulos Chilima who is also UTM party torchbearer for May 21 polls.
Ntcheu residents favored Chilima arguing that Chimulirenji is not known and that cannot bring much needed votes in the district as the home of DPP.
School of thought says unless Chimulirenji resigns, Mutharika will have legal backing to appoint another runningmate which might be accepted by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
