Malawi’s fourth president, Joyce Banda, has said she has no desire to compete for the office of the President again.
The 70-year-old was President of Malawi from April 2012 to May 2014. She became president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika who died while in the office.
On Sunday afternoon, the People’s Party leader in her speech during Tonse Alliance mega campaign rally at Mzuzu Upper Stadium said it is time for youths to compete for the office and govern this country.
“Let me tell you that this year strange things are happening, I am the former President and I will never contest for the presidency again, it’s time for these youths to take offices of the president and the vice president,” she said.
Banda was kicked out of power in 2014 after she lost in the general elections which the incumbent President Peter Mutharika was elected into the country’s highest political office for his first term.
During the Tonse Alliance rally, the former head state also expressed concern over the rising of the political violence in the country.
She mentioned the recent torching of UTM party office in Lilongwe where two members of the same family, son and mother, have lost their lives with other members battling for their lives at Kamuzu Central Hospital.
Presently, Banda and her party are supporting Tonse Alliance which comprises Malawi Congress Party (MCP), UTM, Aford and others whose presidential candidate is MCP’s leader Lazarus Chakwera and the runningmate is Saulos Chilima of UTM who is also the vice president of this country.
Malawi will go for the fresh the presidential polls on July 2 after the Supreme Court of Appeal last Friday upheld the February 3 Constitutional Court ruling which nullified 21 May 2019 fresh presidential elections saying they were marred with serious irregularities.
