The breakaway of an electoral alliance involving opposition People’s Party (PP), ADD and UTM on Monday, places the images of the parties at risk of being tarnished, an analyst has said.
This follows the news that the PP led by former President Joyce Banda announced it had pulled out of the alliance.
It cited failure by the UTM to honor several terms they had agreed. The party says Banda will now submit her papers to MEC on Tuesday.
PP had along with ADD led by Cassim Chilumpha last week endorsed UTM’s Chilima for presidency.
Reports were rife that the PP had negotiated for a runningmate post earmarked for leader Joyce Banda.
The ADD had also later on announced it made a similar move.
But analyst Wonderful Mkhutche argues the move place the images of the parties at a chance of getting bad.
He says for UTM it demonstrates it as a party that cannot negotiate political deals.
“As for PP, the move posits it as a party filled with desperation. But there is still time for the two parties to come with a concrete way forward,” said Mkhutche on Monday evening.
He added that the alliance seems to have been born from narrow goals as PP mostly eared a polite revival.
Banda’s PP was silent after she left the nation following a poll she disputed in 2014. She was accused of spearheading a lot of public resources a scandal better known as cashgate.
However, she has not been questioned on the matter, a development she says exonerates her from the accusations.
It is not known as to whom the UTM was courting for runningmate aside from the reported understanding to pick a person from PP with Banda topping the list for her experience in government.
The UTM emerged mid last year as a mini faction from the ruling DPP as Chilima was pushed by some DPP officials to replace President Peter Mutharika at the party’s convention, a call that Mutharika denied.
The two have since become rivals attacking each other in public rallies and conferences.
Ever since, UTM has placed itself as another top party eyeing for the presidency.
Presidential candidates rage on to submit their nomination papers to MEC this week.
Malawi seems to be plagued by lack of political ideologies in the first place.
Political alliances must be on the basis of shared ideologies. Other than this the only commonality between parties entering into an agreement will be the goal to be in power. Just to be in power and share the benefits that ensue.
Additionally the political culture in Malawi is such that people with sound minds will fail while crooks flourish at least from a PR perspective. There are alot of able leaders in Malawi who dare not enter politics for this reason. You will always be surrounded by shallow people who will frustrate you unless you start doing things their way. Only the strong willed can prevail over them, but the strong characters are the Bingus who died and were labelled as dictators.
There is no remedy to our problems.