I will go nowhere, APM tells critics
President Peter Mutharika has responded to his critics who say he is old to continue ruling the country, saying he is not going anywhere and will contest in the 2019 elections.
He said this on Saturday at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) on arrival from the United Kingdom where he had gone to attend a Commonwealth meeting.
Mutharika described those calling for him to leave the stage to young people as Judas Iscariots who do not wish him and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) well.
He addressed DPP supporters at the airport in the presence of Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who some quarters in the party want to be the party’s torch-bearer in next year’s elections.
Mutharika said he is aiming at a landslide victory.
“There are some Judas Iscariots who say they want to boot me out of the party. Why would they want to do that? To tell you the truth, I am going nowhere, I will not go as people have said, I will stand come 2019, contest and win with a landslide,” he said.
He added: “These Judas Iscariots would like to give MCP the presidency on a silver platter. I will not allow that. That is why I say let us stop the betrayals, tiwanyenyanyenya, tiwapondaponda, tiwangonjetsa.”
The President called on the members in his party “to stop the habit of betrayal and aim at working together to build the party”.
There are divisions in the DPP after former first lady Callista Mutharika, who is the President’s sister- in-law, called on him not to contest again, in preference to Chilima.
Some senior DPP members, such as director of youth Louis Ngalande and legislators Bon Kalindo, Allan Ngumuya and Noel Masangwi have also come out in support of Callista’s sentiments.
On his trip to the UK, Mutharika said he has wooed over 50 investors to come and start different businesses in Malawi.
He said he has, among others, signed an agreement with one investor interested to start a sugar manufacturing company in Nkhata Bay, and the owner of Malawi Mangoes promised him that they would like to extend to Salima.
Among other highlights of the trip, the President said he signed an agreement with the First Minister of Scotland to work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and opening a dental and pharmacy school.
