Parties jostle for 2019 Recognition

Major and small political parties in the country have started jostling and repositioning themselves ahead on the May 2019 polls engaging an extragear in the country’s neverending campaign mood.

With the engaged extra-gear 18 months before the next Tripartite Elections some political analysts have described the journey to 2019 elections as challenging to both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

The analysts have dubbed efforts to by smaller parties to remain afloat as ‘fighting for recognition’.

DPP, MCP, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and the United Democratic Front, which is in working relationship with DPP, have set the campaign tone and they are seemingly not ready to waste time.

According to Chancellor College political analyst Mustafa Hussein, the two main players to sweat blood to impress the public for votes remain DPP and MCP.

It is undeniable that the unveiling of businessperson-cumpolitician, Mohammad Sidik Mia into the MCP fold at Ngabu, Chikwawa midJuly ignited the campaign atmosphere as DPP dived into it and started playing down Mia’s influence and MCP’s potential to dislodge it.

After the Ngabu MCP rally, DPP went straight into counter-political rallies. DPP’s partner in Parliament and government, UDF, could not afford to be left out. It’s leader, Atupele Muluzi, who is Minister of Health in Peter Mutharika’s government, in an apparent effort to register his party’s presence and influence, he, too, has lately been holding political rallies, latest being at Nyambadwe ground last week.

According to another political analyst based in Blantyre, Muluzi’s move is an apparent move to downplay views by some political commentators that he sold UDF, and that the party is on its deathbed.

On the other hand, Aford, widely viewed as a regional party, is also trying all it could to regain its lost glory, a move also viewed by political analysts as a strategy to get a better partner in the major two parties DPP and MCP.

Apparently, Aford believes it may reclaim its status as kingmaker. Hussein said of DPP and MCP: “Both can claim victory in the May 2019 polls, but it depends on who they partner with, the choice of their running mates and what issues they may be taking to the public.”

But Hussein said the going would not be easy for DPP and MCP, looking at the controversial and decisive running-mate issues.

Hussein said the parties have started campaigns early because they are aware of the tough competition that is there, and the need for adequate preparations. He said although party presidents have the prerogative to choose their running-mates, DPP and MCP must tread carefully on this emotive issue.

He said in this political tension and momentum, both DPP and MCP must spare enough energy to resolve controversies surrounding the issue of running-mates.

While DPP is accused by the opposition of not doing any meaningful development, during its rallies, it is relentlessly cataloguing its achievements, and promising more development.

Ernest Thindwa, another political scientist at Chancellor College, said in an interview on Wednesday, that the ensuing political tension is a result of fear of each other between the major players.

Thindwa said DPP would find it hard to campaign because objective voters would fault it on failed promises to fight corruption.

He said the DPP has also failed on reducing presidential powers, which they pledged during the 2014 campaign.

“But both players must be cautious, because in an attempt to portray their parties’ good images, they may end up exposing their weaknesses and failures, and consequently lose votes.

On running-mates, Thindwa cautioned that it would be suicidal for DPP to tamper with the current presidential set-up, saying no matter

Of UDF, he said the party has difficult choices to make, saying its recent engagements with people signify attempts to demonstrate its strong political base.

“If the DPP fails to pick Atupele Muluzi as running-mate, chances are that UDF may decide to go it alone,” cautioned Thindwa.

He also cautioned MCP on the running-mate issue, suggesting that if he were Lazarus Chakwera, he would see the Northern Region vote in Richard Msowoya.

He further cautioned that the Shire Valley vote being sought in Mia is much less than the Northern Region vote.

UDF publicity secretary Ken Ndanga said in an interview yesterday that it was too early to declare what move his party would take, arguing that politics is dynamic; hence UDF would consider what will be on the table.

He insisted that it was impractical to state now whether UDF would go it alone, or not. The DPP has, on the other hand, also downplayed suggestions that it was sidelining Chilima, with Mutharika claiming good working relationship with Chilima, and describing him as ‘my son’ the other day.

Since he rose to power in May 2014 polls, Mutharika has maintained, in his Cabinet, UDF the UDF leader, Muluzi. Attempts to get the 2019 political game plans for DPP, Aford, PP and MCP proved futile as official spokespersons of the parties, as suggested by those we managed to get, could not be reached.

The political rallies craze started with Chakwera invading the Shire Valley on July 15 where it welcomed Mia into the party.

Conspicuously missing at the Lower Shire rally was MCP’s first vice-president Msowoya, who is also Speaker of Parliament, the party’s embattled secretary general and spokesperson Gustav Kaliwo and Jessie Kabwila, respectively.

A week later, Msowoya joined Chakwera at a rally in Nkhotakota, where, contrary to insinuations he had made at the Ngabu rally, Mia spoke well of Msowoya. Since July 15, both DPP and MCP have been criss-crossing the country with 2019 ‘toned’ rallies.