Chakwera warned against MCP/PP alliance

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Lazarous Chakwera, Kamlepo Kalua Chihana

…’Associating with PP makes Chakwera a thief in waiting’

Political analysts have warned Malawi Congress Party (MCP) against forging an alliance with opposition bedfellows People’s Party (PP).

Lazarous Chakwera, Kamlepo Kalua Chihana
“Chakwera’s association with PP makes him thief in waiting” – Luwani

MCP and PP held first ever joint rally last Sunday in the capital Lilongwe, widening up speculations that they had joined forces to fight against the leadership of the ruling DPP. The alliance had earlier been suggested by leader of PP, Uladi Mussa, in November 2015.

Despite neither of the two parties making any reference to the alliance during their joint rally last weekend, commentators have warned that the alliance is doom for MCP.

One of Malawi24’s news analysts on politics and current affairs, Pearson Nkhoma, has warned Chakwera to tread carefully before making PP his bedfellows.

“So far, independent forensic studies have revealed that Malawi experienced one of the worst plunder of public resources under PP with forensic investigations by British auditors, BakerTilly, establishing that PP senior officials and other top government officers who claim to have direct connections with PP founder, Dr. Joyce Banda, stole over K24 billion.

“Another independent audit analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) supported by the Germany government made a damning discovery that K0.55 trillion (K553 billion) was uncounted for by PP regime. This is more than half of the country’’s total annual budget. Why would any person want to associate with that lot?” wondered Nkhoma.

Nkhoma advised Chakwera to trace roots of the current financial meltdown as the MCP leader mounts pressure on President Peter Mutharika to call it quits.

“There is no country that can survive when more than half of its national budget has just been ransacked. The current crisis can therefore be tracked back to PP’s leadership and looting. We also know that it was with the discovery of Cashgate that made donors leave. If MCP join forces with PP, people will question MCP’s credibility in demanding the resignation of Mutharika. The electorate who kicked PP out during the last general elections because of the Cashgate scandal will not take Chakwera seriously. They will definitely see his calls as a means intended to get even with the current president.”

Another commentator, Emily Luwani, said that Chakwera’s association with the PP was a simple message that he was also a thief in waiting.

“If Chakwera decides to partner with PP then it simply tells us that he is like all other politicians who are there to serve their interests. The fact is that only a thief can want to be associated with PP. He will be with them to learn new tricks so that when he happens to be the President, he can equally steal,” said Luwani.

Posting on Facebook, commentator Felix Unyolo said that PP had no political value and associating with them would not add any votes to Chakwera but make him lose some.

The joint rally which was also attended by the dead Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) also followed the controversial arrest of MCP parliamentarians who were accused of plotting to oust Mutharika.

Speakers at the rally further pilled pressure on Mutharika to resign over his failure to swiftly address the current maize shortage and high inflation rates, giving him a 90 day ultimatum.