People’s Party (PP) has defected from governing Tonse Alliance in preparation for the September 16 2025 General Elections. Our News Analyst CLEMENT CHINOKO engages its newly elected secretary general Ben Chakhame on the road to 2025, former president Joyce Banda’s planned retirement from politics and the Tonse Alliance drama. Excerpts:
Q; Congratulations on your election. What do you make of indications that PP has become a spent force with declining parliamentary presence and political influence?
A;Thank you for the congratulatory message. PP believes there is time to campaign and work for the good of Malawians. When there is a new administration in place, we step back and allow them to govern without interference. That is why after the 2014 General Elections, we let the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] operate freely without undue pressure.
The declining numbers of MPs are mostly the effect of the alliance we formed with MCP in 2019. This may have affected the acceptability of most of our shadow MPs in the East and South. However, as an institution, we approach each election with a different strategy. Come 2025, the party will be well-represented in both the local government and parliamentary polls.
Q; Some reports suggest that former president Joyce Banda might retire from politics before the 2025 elections. What does her continued presence in the party’s leadership signify for its future?
A: Indeed Her Excellency Dr Joyce Banda had retirement plans. However, looking at the direction the country has taken economically and the collapse of the rule of law and the waning fight against corruption, most stakeholders, including PP members, requested her to reconsider her position and save the nation from the deathbed just as she did in 2012.
Malawians of goodwill, who are concerned with the state of affairs, don’t need trial-and-error leadership. We need someone who has done it before and that person is Her Excellency. You may recall that she resurrected the economy of this country before and it was during her presidency (between April 2012 and May 2014) that we saw civil servants and politicians being arrested and tried for various grades of corrupt practices. Today, it’s just lip service. Finally, you can agree with me that Dr Banda is one leader that has worked on various developmental programmes both while at State House and outside. This has been possible because of her global network. Surely we need to tap from this. On the life of the party beyond JB, the party has already worked out a succession plan.
Q:Does PP’s exit from the Tonse Alliance signal an end to your engagement in alliances?
A: PP did not exit the Tonse Alliance, but rather MCP announced the end of the alliance. As a party, our leader confirmed this position with their leader. From our understanding, the alliance came to an end this year in August. However, each party is formed to form government so is the PP. As regards to our party going into another alliance is something that cannot be ruled out. Politics is a game of numbers. I can as well confirm that there are some parties we are discussing with on a possible working relationship towards the 2025 general elections. Soon, we will let the public know which partner or partners are joining our blocks.
Q: Should PP choose to contest alone in 2025, what are your realistic chances of forming the next government?
A: PP has some alliance partners in the offing that will team up for the presidential bid. Our door is still open for those who feel we can work together to bail out Malawians in this crisis. It is possible to make Malawi a better place to be. We have done it before and we will surely do it again.
Q: What is the PP stance on its members still holding government positions, including in Cabinet, as does its former secretary general Ibrahim Matola and president Chakwera’s political adviser Ephraim Chivunde. Isn’t this a conflict of interest?
A:History is always the best teacher. If you can recall, during the collapse of the alliance between former president Bakili Muluzi’s United Democratic Front and Chakufwa Chihana’s Alliance for Democracy (Aford), all Cabinet members from Aford remained in government. As a party, we made our position clear that we are not in any working relationship with MCP and do not have any intention of going back. I would suggest if you ask the responsible officers to explain their positions. We respect their choice of destiny.
Q:When you were in the Tonse Alliance, you cautioned the MCP against becoming a “common enemy” as did the DPP in the 2020 court-sanctioned fresh presidential elections. Do you believe MCP has evolved beyond that criticism?
A:I said this and I stand by my words today. As to whether they are yet a common enemy or not, I think it is the public that can judge. My other advice to all political parties, including MCP is that this is the only Malawi we have and it belongs to us all. Any person or institution that will position itself as more important than Malawi itself, will surely fall and regret.
Q:What lessons did PP learn from the controversial alliance?
A:We have learnt a lot from the alliance which will help us design proper alliances in future. The greatest lesson is to never rush in forming alliances. Alliances are just like a marriage that requires one to critically study their partner before making a lifetime commitment. Moving forward, as a party, we shall take proper measures in making similar decisions in future. The lack of an alliance technical team that can work beyond the elections contributes to such agreements dying on arrival. The other thing is that considering that alliances are not recognised by our constitution, it would be better to make such agreements public which may encourage partners to be accountable.
