Written by Patseni Mauka
With just a few hours before the presentation of nomination papers starts, DPP and UDF coalition talks have thrown the two parties into disarray. Incumbent President Peter Mutharika has not decided yet on who will be his running mate and Atupele Muluzi is still weighing his options on who to partner in this year’s elections.
Many months from the beginning of the coalition talks, DPP and UDF still can’t come to an agreement on their electoral alliance. Sources say DPP’s National Governing Council (NGC) is against the idea of selecting Atupele Muluzi as a running mate. However, Mutharika knows he can’t win the elections without an electoral alliance. Mutharika is thinking about winning the next elections and continuing with corruption while NGC members are thinking about what would happen in the event that Mutharika goes to meet his maker before the end of his second term.
Atupele Muluzi, who in the 2014 general elections campaigned on the popular message of ‘agenda for change’, partnered DPP in a governing coalition after losing the elections. Until this year, not a lot had been heard about him in terms of his ambition to be President of Malawi. He was quietly loyal to Mutharika and learning the trade of governing in different government portfolios. He surprised many when he collected nomination papers for this year’s elections.
DPP’s National Governing Council is aware that Atupele’s father, Bakili Muluzi, has the ambition to one day see his son as President of Malawi. They know that should Atupele be Mutharika’s running mate, it would be a fantastic opportunity for UDF to come back to power in the unlikely event that God decides to recall the old and frail Mutharika while in office. The senior Muluzi’s greatest wish is to see his son become President and UDF back in power.
DPP’s senior members are of the opinion that the best they can give Atupele is the post of Second Vice President. But Atupele knows that with a Second Vice President position, he will be at the mercy of Mutharika and probably get fired at the earliest opportune time. This would especially be so if DPP gets enough parliamentary seats in this year’s general elections.
On the other hand, the UDF National Executive consensus is that Atupele should partner with other parties not the DPP. But this is against senior Muluzi’s position which is to have Atupele as running mate to Mutharika for the same reasons the DPP national governing council fears.
Atupele Muluzi has been holding talks with other parties too. Word about the talks got to President Mutharika who quickly called and told Atupele that he wants him as his running mate. Despite the quick action to prevent Atupele from teaming up with other parties, DPP senior members and Mutharika are still locked in disagreement on whether they should take the risk of giving UDF the government on a silver platter by potentially making him Vice President and successor to old and frail Mutharika. Kuli mpungwepungwe!
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