By Kondwani Mkhalipi-Manyungwa
Malawi President Peter Mutharika says Vice President Saulos Chilima did not help him and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win 2014 elections.
Speaking when he arrived in Mzuzu this evening, Mutharika called out the vice president for being a liar.
During a United Transformation Movement (UTM) rally held at Chule Primary School Ground in Dedza last Saturday, Chilima said DPP should be grateful for the role he played in 2014 elections, saying if it were not for him President Mutharika and the DPP would still be in opposition.
“At every DPP rally they claim that I am an ungrateful person DPP, what should I be thankful for? The DPP would not have won without me. I am not indebted to the DPP. I found you (DPP) in opposition and you would not have won the elections without me,” an agitated Chilima said.
Mutharika hit back at Chilima, saying DPP could have won without the vice president because the party did not do well in all areas tasked to the Vice President.
“His claims that we approached him four times are nothing but lies. He should be shameful. There was a committee that we had set up to select prospective candidates as running mates. We agreed to pick someone from the private sector.
“His name was on the final list of 15 other candidates for the position*. It happened, however, that someone on this committee leaked the list to him. He then came to see me at Area 10 the following morning but I sent him back” said Mutharika.
APM then said Chilima’s contribution was not significant because DPP performed poorly in areas where the vice president was to run campaigns.
Mutharika also said that the period Chilima joined DPP as a running mate was too close to elections to garner enough votes for the DPP to win.
“He joined us 60 days before elections and he campaigned in Lilongwe and Mchinji where we performed miserably bad. How then did he help us win?” wondered Mutharika.