Day five of presentation of presidential nomination papers was filled with twists and turns with two candidates in no-show, one sent back and another withdrawing from an alliance with opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
National Development Party (NDP) presidential candidate Frank Mwenifumbo was the last to present yesterday and justified his party’s decision to withdraw from the partnership with DPP, describing it as a strategic move to secure bargaining power in the event of a presidential election second round.
In an interview after presenting his nomination papers to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in Lilongwe yesterday, he said NDP had initially committed to backing DPP but chose to contest independently after observing that other opposition parties had decided to stand alone.
Said Mwenifumbo: “We believe no party will attain the required 50 percent plus one to win outright. If we don’t participate, we’ll have zero leverage. Even with a few votes, we can have a voice at the negotiation table.”
Mwenifumbo picked Dr Chikondi Mpokosa as his running mate.
Mpokosa, who has worked for Unicef, VSO and Oxfam, said the party remained open to dialogue with other political players ahead of the September 16 General Election, further noting that NDP was the first party to advocate for a grand opposition alliance.
Earlier yesterday, People’s Transformation Party (Petra) president Kamuzu Chibambo failed to meet MEC requirements after his running mate, Chris Kulakwacha, did not sign the mandatory declaration form.
MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said this rendered the submission incomplete.
In an interview, Chibambo, a lawyer by profession and regular contestant, blamed the setback on flight delays from South Africa where Kulakwacha was travelling from two days before the presentation.
“This is a minor issue, we will resolve it,” he said.
Prophet David Mbewe of the Liberation for Economic Freedom Party, who was scheduled to submit papers first, did not turn up.
MEC did not provide reasons for his no-show while The Nation’s attempts to reach Mbewe and his party spokesperson were unsuccessful.
However, another party official Blessings Machinjiri claimed Mbewe had asked for a reschedule due to other commitments.
In another development, Dalitso Chauluka, who had collected nomination papers as presidential candidate for People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), withdrew his candidacy, according to MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa.
PPM had earlier issued a statement that its leader remained Mark Katsonga and was not contesting.
Former soldiers Phunziro Mvula and Sesrick Mkwanda presented their nominations with a radical message that Malawi needs military-minded leadership to restore discipline and tackle corruption.
Mvula referenced Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré as an example of the kind of leadership Malawi needs, despite his rise to power through a coup.
“We don’t support how he got into power, but we admire his ideas and leadership. We aim to win through the ballot,” he said.
Mkwanda, 70, dismissed concerns about his age, saying he remained fit to serve. “Soldiers never die. Look at how I’m walking,” he said, stepping out with a soldier’s march to prove his point.
By the end of the day, 14 out of 22 presidential candidates had submitted nomination papers. Two were rejected pending completion of paperwork, including Daniel Dube of the Nationalist Patriotic Party (NPP). Seven candidates have selected running mates of the opposite gender.
