Former Minister in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administration Salim Bagus says he has joined the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to serve the interests of his constituents since he believes government is the master of all developments.
The former Minister of Industry and Trade who is also a Parliamentarian for Chikwawa Central Constituency said he was at liberty to join any other party despite being in the cabinet of former president Peter Mutharika since he was voted in as an independent Parliamentarian.
Bagus was speaking on Friday at Makande Community ground when he was being officially welcomed into the MCP camp, the party he once served as its National Organizing Secretary before joining the DPP prior to the 2019 Tripartite Elections. He dumped the DPP after it lost the June 23 Elections.
Bagus was welcomed into the MCP camp in Chikwawa Mkombedzi Constituency after he had joined the Member of Parliament for the area Abida Mia when she handed over a mortuary at Ngabu rural hospital.
“You see the people of Chikwawa Central voted for me to assist them in the development of the area and not do politics, so what I believe is that government is the master of all development in the country so why should I not join the party which is on the driving seat,” said Bagus.
He quashed away assertions that he always defects to the party that forms government saying he served as the Member of Parliament for the area the entire period of 1999-2004 during the UDF era and that the only period he switched parties was when he was no longer a parliamentarian and that he was doing that depending on the circumstances beyond his control.
Regional Chairperson for the MCP in the Southern Region Perter Simbi said Bagus has returned to his original party like a biblical prodigal son who returned back to his father.
Meanwhile, there has not been an immediate comment from the former governing Democratic Progressive Party officials on the move by Bagus to rejoin the MCP as both the party’s spokesperson Brown Mpinganjira and Regional Governor for the South Charles Mchacha could not be reached on their mobile phones.
Bagus defected to the DPP from the UDF during former president Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration but he later joined the People’s Party (PP) of former President Joyce Banda when the DPP lost power due the demise of president Bingu wa Mutharika. He rejoined the DPP during former president Peter Mutharika’s tenure but later defected to the MCP side before rejoining the DPP till now that he has rejoined the MCP.
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