UTM members will have to exercise a little more patience before knowing who the running mate to leader Saulos Chilima will be.
The press conference held today in Lilongwe had been earlier rumoured to be when Chilima would announce the choice.
But Chilima said he will keep his choice as a surprise package.
The running mate will be known next week when Chilima and the batch of other 19 presidential aspirants will be submitting their nomination papers to MEC.
“I wish to announce that in the next few days, I shall the name of the next Vice-President of the Republic of Malawi. That is the person who shall be my running mate at the May elections,” Chilima.
Several names have been emerging including Dr. Maxwell Mkwezalamba, Newton Kambala, Gospel Kazako and Michael Usi.
The UTM emerged as a faction from the ruling DPP last year.
It came out with initial calls for Mutharika to consider stepping down for Chilima at the party’s indaba.
However Mutharika denied the calls and the UTM swiftly emerged.
Since forming the UTM, Chilima has been ostracized by the Mutharika administration and roles which he held in government were taken away from him.
At the press briefing, Chilima said he will be the last vice president to be mistreated by government.
He added that if elected in May elections his government will change the constitution in order to include specific duties for the vice president.
