United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi has complained that the party was not consulted over the inclusion of UDF Members of Parliament in a shadow cabinet appointed by Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Nankhumwa today announced a 33-member shadow cabinet following the appointment of a new cabinet by President Lazarus Chakwera last month.
The shadow cabinet is dominated by Members of Parliament from the main opposition party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). It also includes MPs from the UDF and Alliance for Democracy’s lone parliamentarian Yeremiah Chihana.
But Muluzi, who is not a Member of Parliament, has complained that he has only learnt about the appointments through social media.
“I have just learnt through social media the appointment of an Opposition Shadow Cabinet in Parliament that includes UDF Members of Parliament. I wish this was done in consultation with the UDF Leadership,” he posted on social media.
UDF MPs in the shadow cabinet include Misolo Mussa Kapichila of Mangochi Malombe and Ismail Rizzq Mkumba of Blantyre Malabada. There are also Independent legislators such as Matthews Ngwale of Chiradzulu West and Mabvuto Sandram Scott of Thyolo South.
The UDF and DPP have over the past months been in an alliance which was formed prior to the 2020 Presidential Elections in which Muluzi was runningmate to DPP president Peter Mutharika.
However, there are divisions in the DPP as a faction understood to be led by Nankhumwa, who is DPP vice president for the South, has been pushing the party to hold a convention to elect a new president.
