Political analysts believe that the United Democratic Front (UDF) is slowly leaning towards an alliance with the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) ahead of the 2025 General Elections.
The party partnered the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the court-sanctioned June 23 2020 Fresh Presidential Election with UDF president Atupele Muluzi standing as running mate to Peter Mutharika.
On Wednesday, UDF pulled out of a press briefing organised by opposition parties in Lilongwe to raise concerns about the preparations for September 16 2025 General Elections and castigate the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)-led government.
But political analysts said in interviews on Thursday their pulling out is an indication that UDF is seeing MCP as an option for electoral alliance.
Political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche said with MCP losing UTM Party, which broke away from the Tonse Alliance in July this year, UDF is expected to fill the space and bring the much-needed votes in the southern and eastern regions.
“UDF may prove to be the huge difference between the ruling and opposition parties since it still has supporters who can give MCP a mileage in the shadows of the 50+1 electoral system,” he said.
Another analyst George Chaima said the UDF is either being dragged into an alliance it is not ready to enter into or it has got a deliberate plan to align with MCP.
“From its decision to pull out of the briefing, it would not be wrong to conclude that the party is trying to be careful before it takes a side regarding alliances,” he said.
UDF publicity secretary Dyson Jangia on Thursday said the party planned to be part of the opposition parties’ press briefing on Wednesday but decided to pull out because the party’s national executive committee has not met since the UDF convention on October 2 2024.
He said: “We felt it was not right for us to go there as a group when we have not met as a committee ourselves.
“Otherwise, we are agreeable to the issues regarding the electoral process because we believe in free and fair elections.”
When contacted on Thursday, Atupele said he would respond in writing but was yet to respond at press time.
However, on Tuesday the UDF leader took to Facebook to refute reports that he was joining President Lazarus Chakwera’s Cabinet and taking the UDF into an alliance with MCP.
Atupele, who is son to UDF co-founder and the country’s first multiparty president Bakili Muluzi, said the UDF is moving forward independently and he has confidence in its strength.
“If any alliances are to be considered in the future, they will only happen after thorough consultations with the UDF membership. Our focus remains on strengthening the party and staying true to our vision for the people of Malawi,” he said.
The UDF became the first political party to form a government after Malawi returned to multiparty democracy through the June 14 1993 National Referendum.
However, the party’s strength in Parliament has been on the decline, especially post the 2004 General Elections after Bingu wa Mutharika ditched the party that sponsored his presidential ticket to form DPP.
In the 2009 General Elections, the party supported MCP candidate John Tembo who lost the presidential election to Bingu.
