UDF on deathbed—Analyst

In the wake of the indecisiveness regarding the status of the one-time governing United Democratic Front (UDF) in the 2019 Tripartite Elections, a political scientist has forecast doom for UDF, saying it is a party on a deathbed.

Ernest Thindwa, who teaches political science at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, expressed his sentiments in response to The Nation’s inquiry on his take on UDF president Atupele Muluzi’s failure to decisively explain the future of his party’s working relationship with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

He said the UDF’s inability to make a decision was understandable because the status quo does not augur well with the party either way.

Said Thindwa: “First, if UDF decides to field a presidential candidate they have no issues because Atupele is part of the DPP government, as such, he cannot campaign against the party he has been party to.

“Again, if he [Atupele] decides to contest as an alliance with the DPP, certainly he cannot be made a presidential candidate. Perhaps, the best he can get is running mate and that will mean putting aside [Vice-President Saulos] Chilima who is again a key player in terms of mobilising votes for the party in the Central Region and the DPP would be at pains to get him out.”

He said in the circumstances, he sees the situation as the beginning of the demise of UDF which, he said, risks being “reduced to a no-party just like Aford [Alliance for Democracy]” which entered into similar relationships with UDF when the party was in power and earlier went into an electoral alliance with the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

Said Thindwa: “So, whatever the case UDF has a problematic future.”

On Sunday, Muluzi, who is Minister of Health and Population Services in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet, told reporters on the sidelines of a political rally he addressed in Blantyre, only his party’s convention could decide the direction.

However, his comments contradicted what Mutharika said recently in Mangochi after UDF women danced for him at a function to mark the official opening of Mangochi Community College.

The President said UDF and DPP were in an alliance that would continue despite strong opposition from Balaka North member of Parliament (MP) Lucius Banda, a former leader of UDF in the National Assembly.

Banda refused to move alongside fellow UDF legislators to the government benches, saying he also feared he would be betraying his constituents who voted him on a UDF ticket to support the DPP agenda in Parliament.

The move from opposition to government benches cost UDF a voice in the National Assembly as it is no longer recognised as a political party.

On the other hand, Mustapha Hussein, another political analyst based at Chancellor College, observed that Muluzi’s stand showed that he wanted a democratic process of ensuring the decision to continue with the alliance is based on the inputs of party members.

“In other words, he is trying to democratise it by ensuring that party members have a say on the issue and that is commendable because all along we have been talking of intraparty democracy and that is the right path—to seek opinions while strengthening intra-party democracy,” he said.

But commenting on Mutharika’s position, Hussein said it was important for DPP too, to seek views from its party members are also solicited so that if endorsed the alliance would become stronger and understood better.

But when asked on Monday why he thought he needed party members to decide on the future of the alliance ahead of 2019 polls when he initially made a unilateral decision when entering into the partnership, Muluzi said: “There was no agreement requiring ratification by the convention. My appointment into the Cabinet and the sitting plan in the National Assembly—I don’t think this was something to do with the party as a whole.”

He said if there was an agreement between the two parties, the views would have been sought from the members on the alliance.

UDF and DPP became political bedfellows soon after the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections after Mutharika drafted Muluzi into his first Cabinet. Muluzi has been maintained since then.

Muluzi has disputed suggestions that by entering into a working relationship with the DPP, he sold the party; arguing he accepted to help run the country because he wanted unity and development.

Muluzi, whose father Bakili Muluzi, ruled the country between 1994 and 2004, said UDF was strong and he could not sell it any at cost.

Prior to the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections, Muluzi had also taken UDF into a working relationship with People’s Party (PP) after then president Joyce Banda appointed him and several UDF legislators into Cabinet in 2012.

Muluzi quit Banda’s Cabinet close to the election and launched what he called an Agenda for Change that sought to transform the country. However, he finished a distant fourth in the presidential race.

UDF’s strength in Parliament has been dwindling since the 2004 General Elections. From 84 seats in the first post-independence multi-party elections that had 177 MPs in 1994 to 91 MPs in 1999 when the number of constituencies was increased to 193, the party got 49 seats in 2004, 16 in 2009 and 15 in 2014.