Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) says Vice Prisident 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 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.
But this evening, 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.
Chilima left DPP in June this year to form UTM. Ever since then, he has been accusing DPP of corruption and nepotism. He has also accused the party of plotting to rig the forthcoming tripartite elections.
A pitala muthalika musamayankhule ngati mwana, chilimayo anakupephani kuti akhale pa list ya anthu 15 wo?? Mesa munamuikapo nokha?? Chifukwa mumadziwa kuti he has potential..but tikukumvetsani bwana, POWER OF OLD(POO)
With due respect excellencies, Malawi knows you helped each other to win elections. Zina mukukambazo mmaboza. Even after being number 15 you knew he will add value to your party. After sending him back, what happened next to have him as running mate? Izi ndi zija Amati munthu wakalamba chasala m’boza lokha! Moving forward, tiuzeni za ma university, Nsanje port, zilipoti?