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UTM Party to meet over leadership

Following the death of Vice-President Saulos Chilima in a plane crash last week, UTM Party is set to meet and decide on its next leader, it has emerged.

The decision by UTM, the key partner in the governing Tonse Alliance, is coming at a time President Lazarus Chakwera is expected to appoint Chilima’s replacement as Vice-President by tomorrow.

Is expected to call for a meeting this week: Kaliati

In an interview yesterday, UTM Party spokesperson Felix Njawala said many names were coming up.

He said: “The secretary general will soon call for a meeting where leadership issues will be decided. Probably on Friday we may have that meeting.

“Of course our supporters are saying a lot in terms of names of individuals who can take over leadership, but that will be decided later in the week.”

Njawala’s comments come amid rumours that the party had appointed its patron Newton Kambala as interim leader.

Meanwhile, Chakwera has until Wednesday, June 19, to appoint a Vice-President.

Chilima, who died alongside eight others in a military plane crash in Viphya Highlands in Mzimba en route to Mzuzu Airport on June 10, was laid to rest at his home, Nsipe in Ntcheu District yesterday.

In separate interviews last week, pundits said the President faces dilemma to appoint the new Veep as he needs to reconcile moral, political and cultural demands in his choice.

Thus, they urged Chakwera to appoint a replacement from Chilima’s party, UTM Party and not Malawi Congress Party, which he leads.

Under Section 84 (2) of the Constitution, the law stipulates that “The President shall appoint a person to filI the vacancy in the Office of First Vice-President within seven days from the date the vacancy arose”.

Last week, Malawi Law Society president Patrick Mpaka also said considering that the deceased and Chakwera took oath of office on June 28 2020 in terms of Section 83 of the Constitution, the President had seven days to make a new appointment.

An expert in electoral and identity politics Ernest Thindwa noted that the choice of the VP will not be the easiest of political decisions by Chakwera as it will likely come under heavy public scrutiny.

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