Vice-President Michael Usi is silent on whether he will contest on his party’s ticket in the September 16 General Election.
Speaking during a political rally at Naisi Community Ground in Zomba yesterday in his capacity as , who is also Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu Party leader, he said his party is ready to contest and that he was not afraid of the general election.
However, Usi could not indicate whether he will appear on the ballot paper as a presidential candidate.
Asked in an interview to clarify on whether he will be his party’s torchbearer in this year’s general election he said: “I am going to make that clear very soon. I will tell you. But the party is going to contest. The party is very strong.”
Usi said the rally, the first since his party’s registration three weeks ago, sought to build and strengthen the party structures.
“We were also trying to make sure that we understand what Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu stands for, because there are so many issues that Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu needs to address. We also want to tell people the pathway we are taking,” he said.
In his address, the Vice-President claimed that the country has many educated people, but not all are intelligent enough to help in developing it.
Usi said it was better to fire public officers who are educated, but not intelligent as they are contributing to challenges which Malawians are facing.
On his part, the party’s secretary general Happy Kondowe urged registered voters to vote in the September 16 General Election.
He said the party has come to stay and will serve the country with a purpose.
Earlier, the party’s campaign director Norman Nyirenda received a negative response from the audience as he attributed Malawi’s continued high poverty levels to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies.
It took Usi to correct Nyirenda’s sentiments, saying the World Bank and IMF are crucial to the country’s development.
