Breaking: PP withdraws from UTM Alliance: Joyce Banda to go solo

Feb 04, 2019 Kondwani Mkhalipi-Manyungwa Politics 1

…PP feels used, JB to present her nomination papers tomorrow

Alliance of Chaos! People’s Party has officially withdrawn from the UTM Alliance a few days after joining arms with Saulos Chilima and other small political parties to dislodge DPP in May 2019 elections.

In a statement issued today, PP says it is withdrawing from the alliance because UTM has failed to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding the two parties signed on Friday.

“People’s Party is withdrawing from this aggrement because UTM has failed to comply with the terms of the agreement and the spirit of solidarity that emerged between UTM and PP… Joyce Banda nominated the UTM president [Saulos Chilima] as torchbearer of the alliance [on agreement] that the UTM President would nominate the running mate in consultation with the president of PP and that the running mate would be from PP.

“However, the People’s Party notes with regret that UTM has up until today been playing hide and seek on the matter” reads part of the statement signed by PP’s National Publicity Secretary, Ackson Kalaile Banda.

The party also revealed that an initial plan was to have Joyce Banda as torchbearer of an alliance but that JB as she is affectionately called decided to pave way for Chilima “in the interests of national alliance that would bring genuine transformation to the people of Malawi”.

In an interview with BBC, Joyce Banda said she partnered with Chilima because he was a highly capable person fit to lead the country.

“I am 68! I don’t have to run for either Presidency or Vice Presidency…. I can just support this young and highly capable person in Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima. We African Leaders must understand the right time to leave the stage to other capable people for the greater good of our nations. I am going to support Dr. Chilima because he is the right person fit for the job and we have similar agenda to develop Malawi.”

While the statement is silent on who PP had picked to partner Chilima, PP claims it feels “betrayed” by Chilima and considers the tactics by UTM as “unacceptable”.

“[PP] has decided that the latest development is unacceptable. The party therefore feels betrayed and has decided to exit the coalition” concludes the statement by PP.

While PP says it had mandated Joyce Banda to negotiate the alliance, it does not reveal whose name she had put forward as Chilima’s running mate. Media reports suggest she had offered either herself or her son, Roy Kachale.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Electoral Commission has issued an updated schedule for tomorrow’s presentation of presidential nomination papers. The schedule confirms that Joyce Banda has decided to go solo. She is scheduled to hand in her nomination papers at 2pm at the COMESA Hall in Blantyre.