MCP, UTM opt for peaceful discussions

Apparently after sobering up on Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s speech which brought tension in the governing Tonse Alliance, both UTM Party and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) believe dialogue is the only way out.

In separate interviews yesterday, UTM and MCP hinted they were willing and ready to discuss issues raised by Chilima, regretting the turn of events.

But political commentators said it was going to be a tall order to calm down the situation, arguing the cracks in the alliance are glaring and deep; hence; call for dialogue is easier said than done.

Chilima, barred from performing his delegated duties by President Lazarus Chakwera after Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) mentioned him in the  alleged Zunneth Sattar corruption report, told the nation on Friday that if MCP wanted the alliance terminated, it should say so and call for elections to seek fresh mandate.

But sounding concerned, UTM publicity secretary Frank Mwenifumbo said in an interview yesterday both parties must forgo their egos and allow dialogue to resolve their concerns.

He said: “We cannot go on like that, an election after election. We have a nation to serve. Our Vice-President, who is also UTM president, Dr. Chilima, offered an olive branch in his speech. He emphatically said these are matters we have to discuss.

“We in the UTM are not going to enter into a rat race of arguing the contents of the alliance agreement document.

“The Rt. Hon. Vice-President gave a very comprehensive speech on Friday and did so at the behest of both the UTM membership and the general populace of this country following events that have successively taken place since the alliance government was elected into power.”

Mwenifumbo said there are issues which the alliance partners need to discuss ranging from Cabinet appointments and dismissals, fighting graft and diplomatic and board appointments in statutory corporations.

He said: “The Vice-President could not adequately respond to all these issues without making reference to the guidance provided by the agreement; hence, his repeated reference to the alliance agreement.

“It is, therefore, strange that our friends, through their honourable secretary general [Eisenhower] Mkaka, out of the entire speech and contents of the agreement decided only to cherry-pick the issue of rotational presidency.”

Mwenifumbo said Chilima expressed willingness to relook at the agreement and strategise on how to overcome post election hurdles in the document for the sake of unity, peace and progress.

He said: “Dr. Chilima repeatedly stressed the importance of an effective working alliance which primarily concentrates in addressing economic woes being faced by Malawians than advancing politicking.

“Dr. Chilima is a Vice-President of this country through direct suffrage of a common man under the auspices of the Tonse Alliance and not just UTM. As such, he will continue attending the Tonse Alliance meetings. We are sincere and ready for this dialogue.”

On his part, MCP spokesperson the Reverend Maurice Munthali said in an interview yesterday that dialogue was the only way out and his party was ready to resolve all divisive issues with its alliance partners.

Munthali, however, regretted the decision to go public on issues that would have easily been discussed and resolved, especially coming soon after the meeting of all alliance partners on June 24 2022.

The MCP spokesperson said they responded to the issue of rotational presidency where Chilima claimed it was agreed he would be the torchbearer in 2025 because the document the Vice-President referred to is “fake”.

“There is no such a document. That is a fake not an official document. At an appropriate time, when all alliance partners are agreeable, we will produce a genuine alliance agreement they signed for,” he said.

Munthali said it was ironical that Chilima did not take advantage of the alliance meeting they had to raise his concerns, adding MCP would be willing to hear the issues behind closed doors.

Munthali also faulted Chilima on remarks that presidential immunity should be removed, arguing that the Vice-President should know better that such powers are vested in the National Assembly.

The nine-party alliance spokesperson Kamuzu Chibambo said there were better ways to address disagreements, referring to Chilima’s speech on Friday.

He urged the alliance partners to meet as soon as possible to discuss the issues the Vice-President raised.

 Said Chibambo: “It is more compelling to meet as soon as possible. Let us take what happened as water under the bridge and focus ahead. Every situation has a solution, including this one. We must handle issues with maturity. These are highly emotive issues that need to be discussed away from the public eye.”

But political commentator, Martin Chiphwanya, said Chilima was certainly irked with the corruption allegation levelled against him.

He said: “The Vice-President knows his political survival and public rating stands on how this matter will be concluded. Whether he was involved is a matter that ACB through the courts will have to determine.

“However, his call to have the presidential immunity aspect reviewed suggests that there could be some skeletons within the presidential closet. Gloves are surely off and we should brace ourselves for some epic political battles.”

Chiphwanya said after Friday’s address, the alliance was put on rocks because “here are men and women that set off for Canaan, but they have decided to start butchering each other along the way”.

The political commentator said seeds of discord have been planted and it would be difficult even where they meet for discussions to trust each other again.

Said Chiphwanya: “To some extent, it is good that things have been put in open unlike before when all we were hearing were speculations. If the alliance is to be sustained, these things have to be discussed seriously, but it won’t be easy.

“Each party would want to portray themselves in positive right. The 50 plus one requirement in the presidential election could be something that will make them to reconsider their positions.”

University of Malawi Political and Administrative Studies lecturer Associate Professor Mustafa Hussein said the partners lost an opportunity to deal with the bigger issue of agreement during their meeting of June 24.

Hussein said from the word go, Malawians started asking for what was agreed between Chakwera and Chilima, but the two decided to keep it a secret.

He said: “This was unfortunate. We are in a democracy and the key word is transparency. It is important that not only the members, but the nation should know about any agreement. These matters affect Malawians. It should not be treated as a privilege, but a right for people to know.” During their meeting on June 24 in Lilongwe, Tonse Alliance partners ‘avoided’ discussing critical issues, including the agreement between Chakwera and Chilima, but made little efforts to discuss the economy and corruption.

However, the four-hour meeting, centred much on unity in the alliance as some partners felt the relationship was being taken for granted.

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 on Friday, MCP said they did not have in its possession any document that stipulates of or points to the sharing of terms between Chakwera and Chilima.