A Political Analyst in the country says the claims by former President Peter Mutharika that the Tonse Alliance plans to manipulate the 2025 elections have negative effects on voters.
This comes as Mutharika made serious allegations on Sunday during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre that Tonse Alliance is planning to rig the elections come 2025.
A Political Analyst in the country, Wonderful Mkhutche said the claims are baseless and have no backup.
“Those are just baseless allegations. They should provide evidence of that. This risks affecting the people’s perception of the election, something not good for our democracy,” said Mkhutche.
Regarding the leadership crisis the DPP has had as it failed to embrace new blood, Mkhutche concedes that Peter Mutharika remains the right choice for the party.
“For now, Peter Mutharika is the right choice. However, the situation is like that because the party lacked a proper post-Mutharika transition. This failure should make them conscious of how risky it is to continue relying on Peter Mutharika when they can source new blood that can reposition the party,” he indicated.
Mkhutche also postulates that the DPP remains a strong party however the rally patronage shouldn’t be the reason why parties think they would win the 2025 elections.
“DPP remains a strong party with functional structures and dedicated supporters. Political parties shouldn’t be convinced that they will win the 2025 elections by looking at the number of people at their rallies.
“People go to rallies for different reasons. If parties want a picture of their support, they should use research to find out. Using rally numbers is not reliable at all,” highlighted Mkhutche.
Recently, a Human rights activist, Undule Mwakasungula also criticized Mutharika’s allegations that the Tonse Alliance plans to manipulate the elections.
He called on Mutharika to provide evidence for his claims arguing that the allegations will likely escalate political tension and undermine Malawi’s electoral integrity, potentially leading to voter apathy and conflict.
