Chilima opens pandora’s box

Vice-President Saulos Chilima yesterday declared that he is next in line as the 2025 Tonse Alliance presidential candidate in keeping with the pact he and Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera signed prior to the June 2020 court- sanctioned fresh presidential election.

According to Chilima, the Political Alliance Agreement was for 10 years, in which both Chakwera and himself are expected to support each other to lead for one-term.

But in a brief statement issued later in the evening, MCP publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali said his party does not have in its possession any document that stipulates of or points to the sharing of terms between Chakwera and Chilima.

“In any case, as a law- abiding party, we will comply with the dictates of the supreme laws of the land, which is our Republican Constitution,” Munthali said in the statement, adding that MCP has taken note of Chilima’s statement and would follow the Tonse Alliance agreed guidelines for addressing such issues.

At a brief press briefing later, MCP secretary general Eissenhower Mkaka reiterated sentiments contained in Munthali’s statement.

Chilima opened up on the contents of the agreement between the two parties when he addressed the nation at the UTM Party offices in Area 10 in Lilongwe in a statement titled ‘Living True to Our Promise and Mission’.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters who thronged the venue, Chilima said: “That subject to the decision of the national executive committees or conventions, as the case may be, of the UTM and the Malawi Congress Party, the presidential candidate during the fresh presidential election of 23 June 2020 shall not be the presidential candidate during the immediate next election and shall cede the candidacy to the running mate in the fresh presidential election of June 23 2020.”

Chilima stressed that there was no place for personal priorities at the time as the alliance partners had a nation to save; hence, forming a force to increase chances of winning.

He pointed out that any departure from the agreement amounts to political fraud, especially on the popular will that mandated the alliance, adding that if the alliance was to be terminated, then honesty would demand that a fresh election be held.

The Veep stated that Clause 2 of the agreement stipulates 11 guiding principles that include transparency, good faith, national interest, unity and togetherness, good governance, non–discrimination, mutual trust, mutual respect, integrity, consultation and consensus.

Commenting on fight against corruption, the VP cautioned the Anti-Corruption Bureau against being abused or misused by some quarters, arguing that the bureau must not put its prosecutorial methods into question.

He also cautioned against interference in the bureau’s affairs and that the graft-busting body should not be used to dislodge him.

Chilima also called for the amendment of the Section 91(2) of the Constitution of Malawi, which was one of the clauses in the alliance agreement. He said the section provides undue protection to the occupant of the office of the President of the country.

He described as an irony that the country’s laws allow for investigations and prosecution of the Vice-President for alleged criminal wrong-doing, when the same is not extended to the President.

“One of the concrete goals of the Tonse Alliance, which is yet to be attended to, was to remove presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. This promise was pronounced under the campaign agenda of the alliance,” he said.

Political analyst Ernest Thindwa in an interview observed that all indicators suggest that the future of the alliance is bleak and that there are huge cracks which may prove to be monumental to address.

Said Thindwa: “First, alliance partners continue to compete against each other in by-elections which should not have been the case in a functional electoral alliance.

“Secondly, the unilateral declaration by some operatives in the Malawi Congress Party, that the incumbent party and State President will be a presidential candidate in 2025 also strains the alliance.”

Thindwa said not many politicians across the globe have the moral or ethical standing to consistently respect formal and informal governance norms.

Another political and governance expert Makhumbo Munthali said that it is clear from the Veep’s statement that he is not happy with Chakwera’s decision to withhold delegated powers from him.

Chakwera a fortnight ago withheld the delegated functions following an ACB report which linked the Vice-President to alleged corrupt dealings with businessperson Zunneth Sattar.

But in his address, Chilima restricted himself from commenting further on the Sattar issue, but said he would welcome the opportunity to respond to the allegations, which he said were made against him without substantiating it with evidence.

Munthali who described Chilima as an ambitious politician, said the Veep is looking at the issue from a political angle that, perhaps, Chakwera is using the Sattar allegations to frustrate his presidential ambition.

Said Munthali: “The agreement has been revealed because Chilima is bitter. The President’s reaction to the ACB report is what has triggered the revelations. The Veep has no trust in the President and ACB; hence calling for the independence of the bureau.

“On removal of immunity for the President, Chilima implies that the President may also have some skeletons in the cupboard or is implicated in the Sattar issue and; therefore, he must equally face consequences. It is a case of “If I fall we all fall”.”

Nonetheless, Munthali observed that the agreement may not be legally-binding but raises moral and ethical issues.

Chilima also took a swipe at some members of the alliance who he said exude power hungry traits “forgetting that alliance partners risked their lives to win the elections”.

On his part political commentator Humphrey Mvula said Chilima ought to have used the alliance platform to talk about the issues arguing that taking them to the public discredits him.

He said: “The agreement was not practical. This was a gentleman’s agreement.”