Mutharika says he erred in choosing Chilima as runningmate

Everyone regrets in life and for DPP leader Peter Mutharika, he backdates one regret to way back in 2014.

Mutharika says he made a mistake in choosing an ‘outsider’ for runningmate in 2014.

Mutharika says he did not make a good choice by opting for UTM leader Saulos Chilima in 2014.

According to the Malawi President, the fact that his own vice president dumped him and became his rival four years on is an indication he made an error.

He was making the remarks when he was introducing his runningmate Everton Chimulirenji to the party follows at a rally in Chikwawa.

He says Chimulirenji unlike Chilima was already a party member.

“There were 17 nominees for the running mate this year in the DPP. But I picked Chimulirenji because he was from within the party. I didn’t want to repeat the error I made in 2014. Please forgive me for that,” said Mutharika at the end of his visit to flood victims in the district earlier this week.

Chilima broke away from the DPP as a fast emerging faction wanted Mutharika to pave way for Chilima.

His UTM is one of the top rivals against the DPP.

At its formation, the UTM slammed the DPP of corruption and the DPP leadership in turn has been describing the Chilima led UTM as driven by personal ego.