APM landslide claim far-fetched—analysts

Political commentators have described President Peter Mutharika’s declaration that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will win next year’s elections with a landslide as far-fetched.

The commentators have since urged Mutharika to first resolve the internal challenges that have rocked the party if DPP is to be guaranteed victory in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

On Saturday, Mutharika held whistle-stop tours at Bvumbwe, Thyolo and in Mulanje where he told people that DPP will win next year’s elections with a landslide, claiming that his party will have over 180 legislators.

But in an interview yesterday, Mzuzu-based political commentator Emily Mkamanga described Mutharika’s claim as wishful thinking, arguing that the political landscape has changed since the last tripartite elections in 2014 when the Northern Region was the home of DPP.

“Whatever the President said, he said that because of serious problems which are in the party now. He knows well there are divisions in the party. So, he just wants to create an impression that everything is okay in the party,” she said.

Mkamanga warned that main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is now gaining ground in the North, a development which she thinks will disadvantage DPP in the elections.

University of Livingstonia-based political analyst George Phiri said the party may not win the majority vote because of internal strife, something that is going to split party membership between Mutharika and his estranged deputy, Saulos Chilima.

He said: “I do not have statistics and information on which he [Mutharika] is basing his argument. In politics, what we see with our eyes is substantiated on the ballot paper and what he says has to be proved in 2019 because the division that we are seeing in the party may lead to division of votes as well.”

Catholic University of Malawi (Cunima) political scientist Nandini Patel said Mutharika cannot win with a landslide because his party lacks intraparty democracy.

She said: “If you ask any political party now, they will say they will win with a landslide, but people will judge him based on performance. People understand intraparty issues now and taking it from a historical perspective of the party, I do not know if it will win with a landslide.”

But DPP spokesperson Francis Kasaila maintained Mutharika’s stand that the party will scoop the majority vote from all regions, denying any divisions in it.

“There are no divisions in the party. In as far as numbers are concerned, we stand a better chance to win. We were heavily criticised on the July 20 demonstrations, but we did much better in the Northern Region compared to other parties,” he said.