Vice President Saulos Chilima will speak to the nation this morning and there is speculation over what he will say.
Chilima’s press conference will be held at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe and will start 9:30AM. It will also be broadcasted live on Zodiak.
The press briefing comes days after Chilima arrived in the country from the United States of America and just over a week before presentation nomination papers to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
There is already speculation over what Chilima plans to tell the nation with many people on social media suggesting that the vice president wants to announce his runningmate for the 2019 elections.
Chilima who leads opposition UTM is the party’s presidential candidate for the 2019 elections. There are also reports that the party has agreed to enter into an alliance with the former ruling People’s Peoples (PP) and that the coalition will be announced at the press conference.
However, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters on social are also claiming that Chilima will announce his withdrawal from the presidential race.
In the 2019 presidential polls, Chilima will face strong competition from President Peter Mutharika of the DPP and Malawi Congress Party President Lazarus Chakwera.
At the briefing, the Vice President is also expected to condemn political violence that has escalated in the country since the start of 2019.
Earlier this month UTM legislator Bon Kalindo was arrested for insulting President Peter Mutharika and later assaulted by Democratic Progressive Party youths known as cadets while Malawi Congress Party member Edward Govati was attacked by the same DDP youths.
Recently, a man and a woman belonging to UTM were forced to take off their T-shirts leaving the woman in her underwear and the man half naked in Mangochi district.
9.30 am…MALAWIAN TIME. ITS NOW 9.45 AM