Balaka North legislator Lucius Banda has hit back at President Peter Mutharika’s remarks on Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) coalition with opposition United Democratic front (UDF) saying the Malawi leader made the claims out of ignorance.
Speaking at the launch of community colleges in Mangochi over the weekend, Mutharika applauded the alliance arguing that it is meant to serve the interest of citizens in the country.
Mutharika also faulted Banda for not supporting the merger arguing that he is being misguided. Reacting on the remarks, Banda has disclosed that Mutharika’s comments were made out of ignorance because he is misguided and ill-advised.
“President Peter Mutharika alluded to the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) will continue despite strong opposition from one misguided Member of Parliament (MP). I am that one MP, I consider the President’s reference to the DPP/UDF coalition an illusion because no such alliance or union exists.”
“As a UDF Member of Parliament, and indeed the party’s leader in the House at the time the so-called coalition was agreed upon, I have never seen, nor have I ever been presented with a signed document cementing a working union between the DPP and my beloved United Democratic Front (UDF),” said Banda in a statement.
The legislator further argued that his party president Atupele Muluzi has been failing to provide the legal documents proving the political ties with DPP.
“This is strange because both DPP leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and his UDF counterpart Austin Atupele Muluzi are First World-trained lawyers and one thinks that they ought to know that a document signed by both parties forms the basis of any legal agreement. In this age and era, a signed document is key to all transactions. Even my Uncle Chemwelera at Sosola Village in Balaka knows that he has to sign a legally binding document when he is borrowing katapila from the village loan shark. This is basic law,” he added.
However DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi is on record to have said that DPP coalition focuses on developing the country.
