They say there are no permanent enemies in politics. But Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) torchbearer in the September 16, 2025 elections, Peter Mutharika (APM), wants to prove the adage wrong.
Last weekend he told crowds that thronged his party’s rally in the Capital City, UTM Party should “go away”.
“Go away, Go away. I don’t want to hear anything about UTM again. This is the last time I am saying this.”
Yes, you heard me right. This was APM at his best warning UTM officials and supporters to forget about ever working with DPP.
“You came from DPP but rallied with MCP to remove DPP from government. Ndiye munapita kumeneko. Mwakhaula eti? I want to hear nothing about you,” an emotionally charged APM ranted.
Just to fill you in, if there were prospects of two strong opposition parties of forming a formidable united front to oust the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP), such a bloc would have to incorporate DPP and UTM Party members. This is because historically UTM’s roots are in DPP. Just as DPP itself came from the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Additionally, before moving to UTM, the party’s president Dalitso Kabambo was a DPP executive member who at one point even eyed the DPP presidency. It was not until APM declared his return to active politics and declared his candidature for the DPP presidency that Kabambe flirted with joining UTM. Even after he had joined UTM and won the party’s presidency at the convention, some people rightly or wrongly felt Kabambe’s moving to UTM was a DPP ploy to bring the prodigal sons (UTM supporters) back home.
As a matter of fact, the two parties only started exchanging unsavory remarks after they failed to agree on an electoral alliance. Both UTM and DPP senior members are on record saying that the alliance talks failed because DPP wanted both the presidential candidate and running mate positions. The highest position DPP offered UTM was that of Second Vice-President. UTM would not yield to this arrangement. That was the genesis of the drama we are being entertained with by the two parties today.
So, now it is that APM (or is it DPP) has well and truly forsaken UTM. So bitter with UTM is the former president that he does not see himself again working with the party that betrayed DPP in 2020.
My take is that APM has dangerously crossed the bridge before coming to it. His assumption being that he has already returned to State House. Obviously, this thinking is erroneous. Not with the 50 percent +1 electoral system for electing the president. None of the front runners can say with certainty they are home and dry. There are 17 presidential candidates in this election. Each of these candidates will chip away at the other’s chances of crossing the line in the first cycle of the vote.
So it could prove a grave mistake for APM to chase away a potential alliance partner like UTM which the party will definitely need in the event of a re-run, which is knocking on MEC’s door. APM may live to regret his strong anti-UTM sentiments. And it may be too late when he eventually swallows humble pie and turns back to the same naughty boys and girls he chased away a few weeks from the polls to join hands in a possible re-run.
Anyway, APM is not a toddler. Let’s hope he knows what he is doing.
