Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Joseph Mwanamvekha says the party will bounce back in government in 2025 if members elect him as party leader at the next convention.
Mwanamvekha, who is former Finance Minister and legislator for Chiradzulu South on Tuesday stormed the Northern Region to conduct meetings with DPP members as he is competing for the DPP presidency.
In his remarks, Mwanamvekha assured the members that he is determined to unite the party and take it back into government come 2025 general elections if the delegates could elect him during the convention.
“I can assure you that when you vote for me during the conversation definitely come 2025 DPP will be back in government,” he said.
Mwanamvekha, who served in different portfolios when DPP was in power including Finance, Agriculture and Trade, said he achieved so much while working as a cabinet minister and he has plans for Malawi.
“I have a vision on how I want to uplift the welfare of Malawians including the revival of the loan programmes for the youths to be economically empowered, job creation and the reintroduction of fertilizer subsidy programme which was abolished by the Tonse alliance government,” he said.
According to the aspirant, he will roll out a project to uplift the welfare of chiefs by among others constructing good houses for them and end corruption and nepotism, which he said has seen people from the same family or tribe occupying government and ministerial positions.
Welcoming Mwanamvekha in the city, DPP Northern Region Governor, Ackim Mwanza, thanked the former Finance Minister and his team for visiting them and also sparing time to appreciate economic challenges Malawians are facing due to poor leadership of the country and the effect of the pandemic.
“No one from the party visited us to give a message of hope and the party’s direction of hope and the party’s direction after election and your visit here in the Northern Region will restore hope among the DPP followers who were disparaged after the party lost the country’s Presidency to Tonse Alliance”, said Mwanza.
Mwanza was joined by the Director of Women Joyce Chikakula, Director of youth Kelvin Chirambo, Deputy National Director of operations, Joe Nyirongo, among other National Governing Council Members.
Mwanamvekha, who served in different portfolios when DPP was in power including Finance, Agriculture and Trade, has been meeting district and regional committee members who are also delegates to the DPP convention.
Last week Mwanamvekha was meeting with Governors for Mangochi Monkey Bay and Mchinji, who are Golden Chirwa and Steven Kamwani respectively. Kamwani encouraged Mwanamvekha to contest for the party’s top seat saying he displayed his abilities while serving in different leadership positions both in private and Government.
“You are the only person who can restore the lost glory and bring back DPP into Government, we need candid people with vast experience not only in political circles but also in private sector,” said Kamwani.
Other DPP officials eyeing the party’s presidency are former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Dr Dalitso Kabambe and DPP Vice President for the Southern Region Honourable Kondwani Nankhumwa.
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