Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima says terms of the Tonse Alliance agreement include a provision that he will be the presidential candidate in future elections.
Chilima made the remarks during a Tonse Alliance rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre on Sunday.
Chilima who is the Tonse Alliance runningmate said his supporters should not get worried because he is not the torchbearer for the alliance.
“We agreed that Dr Lazarus Chakwera will be the torchbearer in the 2020 fresh presidential elections. But in future, I will be the presidential candidate so that we should develop the country,” said Chilima.
His statement suggests that if the Tonse Alliance wins the presidential elections, Chakwera who is aged 65 will lead the country for one term and Chilima will take over.
Chilima, 47, has already served as vice president to President Peter Mutharika for one term and can only serve in that capacity for one more term.
The UTM leader dumped Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party ahead of the 2019 elections and launched his bid for the presidency in 2018.
Following the nullification of the 2019 presidential elections, Chilima and Chakwera joined forces as they look to oust Mutharika in the 2020 elections.
During the rally, Chilima also revealed that he will be Finance Minister as well as Vice President in the Tonse government.
He urged Malawians to vote for Chakwera in the elections saying a vote for Chakwera is a vote for all political leaders whose parties are under Tonse Alliance.
