No challenger yet for APM

Weeks after Vice-President Saulos Chilima said he will not vie for any position at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), no one has come forward to challenge Peter Mutharika for the top post.

DPP convention chairperson Nicholas Dausi said in an interview on Monday the incumbent Head of State remains the sole candidate for the position of party president at the gathering set for July 1 to 3 in Blantyre even though all the national governing council (NGC) positions are open to competition.

Mutharika has declared his wish to lead the party in next year’s elections.

However, Dausi, who is Minister of Information and Communications Technology, said aspirants for the various positions were, however, submitting nominations at the party’s secretariat.

Chilima announced his resignation from DPP at a news conference in Lilongwe amid calls by some DPP NGC members, calling themselves the Chilima Movement, who are lobbying him to compete for the presidency at the party’s convention and in the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

Some DPP NGC members, including incumbent vice-president (South) George Chaponda have publicly vowed there will be no voting for the position of president because they want Mutharika to go unopposed.

The battle for presidential candidacy for 2019 created panic in the governing party after some members started propping up the candidature of Chilima.

So far, notable rivalry will be between DPP heavyweights Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa and Chaponda who will face each other on the position of vice-president (South).

Former People’s Party (PP) acting president Uladi Mussa has expressed interest to unseat Hetherwick Ntaba as vice-president (Centre).