Peter Mutharika elected DPP’s torchbearer

It’s over! Peter Mutharika 1126 votes, Chimunthu Banda 73 votes.

After a long battle of campaign, Peter Mutharika, brother to late President Bingu Wa Muthalika has been elected by the convention delegates at COMESA in Blantyre to be the president of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the next five years thereby also getting the endorsement as the party’s torchbearer during Malawi’s 2014 tripartite elections.

Before even counting of the votes was finished, Muntharika supporters broke into uncontrollable dancing after noting that their candidate was heading for a landslide victory as counting of the votes was being done in the open and loudly for everyone to hear which vote was for whom. Announcing the official results, Malawi Electoral commission official Willie Kalonga said Muntharika got 1126 votes against 73 votes for Chimunthu Banda.

In his acceptance speech, Mutharika thanked the delagates for voting him president and promised the supporters that DPP “will engage in a robust and vigorous campaign in order to bounce back in power in 2014” and called upon speaker Henry Chimunthu Banda to join the campaign in 2014.

And it is yet to be seen if those who have lost will not desert the party as per the request of Muntharika during his convention opening speech. Muntharika during the speech emphasized on the need for unity for the party to be in power in 2014 arguing those who will lose should not dump the party as there is a lot of work to be done for the party to bounce back in power in 2014.

“I and my colleagues are determined to take DPP back into government. But we need to be united,” Muntharika said.

In other positions, Nicholus Dausi for publicity secretary defeated Francis Kusaira after getting 1106 votes against 228. On position of treasurer general, Henry Mussa defeated his contenders after getting 908 votes against Noel Masangwi’s 336, and George Chaponda’s 82.