One of the country’s social commentators has said the Chilima Movement is full of politicians who got frustrated after they were not considered for top positions.
Writing on Africa Blogging, the social commentator Jimmy Kainja said the Chilima Movement is an alliance of convenience, based more on personal reasons than an urge to serve Malawians better.
The movement was formed to pressurise Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima to contest in the 2019 presidential elections. Some of the members of Chilima Movement are legislators Patricia Kaliati, Noel Masangwi, Bon Kalindo and Chidanti Malunga.
Kainja who is a media and communications lecturer at Chancellor College said it is not a secret that those in Chilima’s support were seeking top positions in their parties but were not given hence joining Chilima Movement.
“Chilima seems unwilling to comment on the fact that those propping up his candidacy are a group of recycled politicians frustrated elsewhere because they were left out of top positions. As argued before, this smacks of the same corruption that Chilima is denouncing,” said Kainja.
On the issue of leadership and age which is the current Malawi daily song, the commentator said leadership has no age limit.
Kainja noted that the beginnings of Chilima Movement out of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was mainly on the grounds that at 45 years old the vice president was much younger and energetic, unlike 78-year-old Peter Mutharika who is leading the party into the 2019 elections.
He likened the issue to what happened in 2014 when youthful Atupele Muluzi contested on this agenda in the 2014 elections and finished a distant fourth in an election won by the oldest candidate on the ballot Mutharika.
Muluzi later dumped his agenda and joined Mutharika administration where he became a cabinet minister.
“It was easy for Atupele to abandon the “youth agenda” because it was not as personal to him as the above case. Also, important is the fact that the “youth agenda” had no any ideological leaning – it was just a tactic to attract the youth vote who still make the majority of the electorate in Malawi,” wrote Kainja.
He then said this is an alliance of convenience, based more on personal reasons than an urge to serve Malawians better and added that this is same as these politician on Chilima’s back he according to him are joining the movement with their own reasons and not to serve Malawians better.
The commentator further said that as it was easy for Atupele to abandon the “youth agenda” because it was not as personal to him as his father’s case, too it will be easy for these politicians upon seeing that is not meeting their personal interests sometime in future.
“Important is the fact that the “youth agenda” had no any ideological leaning – it was just a tactic to attract the youth vote who still make the majority of the electorate in Malawi.
Four years on, the issue of youth leadership is back into the public discourse. This time more pronounced by those advocating for the country’s Vice President, Saulosi Chilima to contest as a president.” Said Kainja on youth leading.
Voting peter is a waste again I dare not, he is not a worth as a leader amakamba zosagwira mutu just kuti anthuwa alindindalama koma nzanu zomwe
It was good move for chilima and to the entire malawi as a country but but chilima is wasting time and he has lost most interest most support coz he is not saying anything he is making other too politician look stupid and I even don’t like his step now I better look on New Mcp in democracy bambo chakwera can help us amalawi
if we look back in Malawi history zipani zonse zinachokera poukira chipani china ndicholinga choti mwina zinthu nkusintha…so history repeats itself,palibe cholakwika apa chilima must stand as presdent in 2019 ife tilipo tizavota zikumuwawa akakolope lake malawi…boma ili latikwana we need change and to my side i have seen kuti a chilima ndi munthu wanzeru kwambiri amene akhoza kusintha zinthu mmalawi muno,this is shown pomwe anasiya kukapikisana nawo ku convension ya ddp ,anawona kut anthu ambiri antha kufa ,anachita bwino this is wat we call political mature..osati awa mukuti ophunzitsa mma university ma educated savages munthu wankulu koma chinkhalidwe chachimalawi sakuchiziwa akusunga tsitsi ngat wamisala nde ana ake angawalese kusuta chamba uyu..? sukulu ndi nzeru za umunthu ndi zinthu ziwiri zosiyana..a Chilima womwewoooo..
Ine zivute zitani kaya wina akambe motani vote yanga ikupita kwa Chilima
It doesn’t matter if UTM is a party of recycled politicians.what we need is change.Mwinanso inuyo a kainja muli gulu limodzi lolandira ndalama zakuba.zikutiwawatu president ngati akulandira ndalama zakuba ndiye angathetse corruption.That’s why he is a prince of thieves.
I don’t even of what Chilima will do but what I need its to change the ruling party. Goodall Gondwe is an old man since the time of kamuzu up to date is still in government, where are going to feature the young stars. ? We need this government to change.
Chilima’s Agenda is 100% perfect if voted into power and and hang to his agenda
, it will benefit Malawi as whole the only problem is those people surround him but as youth leader he can make decisions unlike this OLD Madala who listens to people’s advice he can’t make decisions on his own cz he is too old…
Commentator you are very very right 100%Chilima is confused by those noise makers. He was supposed to stay in the party until his right time come.
I have heard mr Kainja very well that this so called Youth Agenda doesn’t put anything on the table of Malawians.
This new movement has no substance to offer except capitalizing on the youthful age of their leader.
They need to bring something that will attract an ordinary voters or else they will be trailing far behind.
Any way, most political parties are formed out of anger.
MCP was formed out of anger on how our colonizers treated the locals.
UDF was formed out of anger on Kamuzu’s dictatorship.
DPP was formed out of anger on Muluzi’s attempt to control the then sitting president, the late Binguw Mutharika.
The same anger led to the formation of the PP
And now is what we are hearing of the old bus company that vanished several decades ago the United Transport of Malawi resurrect as United Transformation Movement.
Chilima has dug his political grave.
You will never hear of Chilima after 2019
Am not sure right now which party will help Malawi.Am really confused coz when we vote for these parties,we always expect some changes but these politicians akumatisetela pa mutu instead of kutenga toilet paper.Especially Dpp
Amwene zonse mwalankhula apazi palibe chanveka ngakhale maonekedwe anu ngosanveka madiledi osanveka ndevu zosanveka malaya ndiye kajekaje mmutu mobalalika kaya ma students anuo amanva nkalasimo kaya! Uladi mmphunzitsi wamadalasa Mussa wayenda zipani zingati Ntaba Dausi Henry Mussa ndi ena ambiri ali mu Diphiphi wo akuchokera muzipani zathazi ndiye apa mukufuna mutichite confuse za Chilima hes a president in waiting zikumuwawa yo akagwere ku phiri la Chawe
This is true – Chilima movement was born out of convenience. It is not built on any a collective vision whatsoever. Such movements when allowed to rule would send the country into unstoppable chaos as its leaders tend to wrangle for power. In other words, this grouping will only confuse people and cause more problems than giving answers. After, all its leadership seem not to have similar ideologies and do not portray the image of transformation – not even an inch. They are the same people Malawians have fought to remove from power all along…….. Chilima himself still hides in a cacoon and seems to run out of words of his own vision! He is still strategising………..
I will never vote for Chilima the Guy is lost , he does not know what to do , my vote is for Peter
Thanks Mr commentator. I commented other articles of similar agenda. IAM very sorry for chilima. He is to be used by Patricia, former first lady etc for being put aside in current government. Patricia is rude as everyone knows her. She can’t build a team either. Let me just talk of president and development. Who knows Patricia/ chilima/ anzathu azisunzowa. Please please please Malawi change to good than personal agenda. Patricia how long you stand high position not allowed others get in learn and enjoy development. I don’t regards you as democratic person
A Kainja mwadya zibwente eti, which party is having no recycled politicians? Even dpp itself is full of recycled politicians. Don’t confuse Malawians. Mind u.
Which party doesn’t have recycled politicians. Look around even yourself you are recycled in one way or the other.
An MCP fanatic Kainja angalankhule kuti chiyani? This UTM yabalalitsa mitu ya MCP and DPP camps.The fact is that this UTM grouping is here to stay and will form the next government.. its mission statement is to be fulfilled.
An MCP fanatic Kainja angalankhule kuti chiyani? This UTM yabalalitsa mitu ya MCP and DPP camps.The fact is that this UTM grouping is here to stay and will form the next government.. its mission statement is to be fulfilled…