New party: Muslims in Malawi move to have political party

The number of political parties in Malawi will continue escalating as the Muslim community is slated to establish a party described in the lines that they have been neglected over the last decades since Malawi opted for multiparty system of government, Malawi24 has learnt.

This will be the first religious linked party in Malawi. The move follows a meeting a sect of Muslims held at Mpaweni motel last week.

According to the minutes Malawi24 has seen, the party to be called Chilungamo Development Party is in the interim led by Dr. Imran Shareef who is deputised by Khadija Chingomanje Paseli.

In his opening remarks, Shareef said: “Since the inception of multiparty in Malawi in 1993-1994 wind of change to end one party rule in Malawi Muslims have been in terraces of spectators and not players in a country they were born despite that Islam was the first denomination in Malawi. Muslims have heavily contributed to change any Government Administration but at the end they have been ignored.”

The minutes further reveal that Shareef went ahead to lament that with the trend of things we are in Malawi, there is need for Muslims in Malawi to rise up and take stock of themselves.

He gave examples such as the intentional lowering number of Muslims despite that Muslims in Malawi constituted with all tribes. The issue of decision making position being marginalized or completely left out.

The party will be identified by green cloth which will be a main flag color with Four Stars, one at each corner of the flag and a Half Crest moon at the middle.

Members agreed that membership will be open to everyone more especially binding all Muslim sects and Malawians. However, members who are in executive and other committees should make monthly contribution of K5,000.

A quick Google search shows that there are over 40 registered political parties in Malawi. Seven Presidential contestants including one independent one battled it out in a disputed poll in May.