Businessman Newton Kambala has pledged loyalty to UTM following his loss at the party’s convention.
Kambala lost the position of Treasure to businessperson and Former Member of Parliament for Lilongwe South West Iqbal Omar at the UTM convention on Monday.
He told the local media that he is still a member of UTM despite the loss and believes that the newly-formed party will form the next government in 2019.
Said Kambala: “I am still a member of this UTM Party which is winning next year.”
Kambala used to lead United Transformation Party (UTP) which earlier this year joined forces with UTM and now the new party uses UTP’s colours of red and yellow.
At the UTM convention on Monday, 34 National Executive Committee positions were elected with many winning unopposed.
Eight other members are also expected to be co-opted into the NEC when the newly elected NEC meeets.
“So, the NEC will have to meet and decide who to include and fill the reserved positions in order to have a properly represented structure,” UTM director of publicity Joseph Chidanti Malunga said.
He added that the co-opted members would not have to be active politicians but people whose beliefs are in UTM.
I cannot be a proud member after losing elections and being coopted. In any case, why coopt? An interested person would have contested for positions.