Analysts Back UTM/MCP Silence on Alliance Torchbearer

Two political analysts in the country, have backed the silence by United Transformation Movement (UTM) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on who will lead the alliance after sealing the deal officially.

According to Makhumbo Munthali, the two parties might have deliberately withheld the announcement of the alliance’s torchbearer and running mate with an aim of sticking to their agenda that the alliance is for the benefit of Malawians.

“It was clearly stated in the speech that Chilima and Chakwera delivered that they are together because Malawians wanted them to be together and rescue them from what they call DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) oppression.

Munthali added that the two leaders Saulos Chilima and Lazarus Chakwera know who will lead the alliance but not revealing who is leading is a strategic way of confusing their opponent.

“So I would say it was a deliberate tactic not to mention who is leading the alliance because by now they already know who will be the torch bearer and the running mate. So I think it is one of those executing strategies where they would want to be sharing information bit by bit so that their opponents don’t understand the moves they are taking,” said Munthali.

Siding with Munthali, George Phiri from Livingstonia Synod said no serious leader would engage into such an alliance without reaching a stage of who is the leader.

“From my understanding the two parties know the candidates as to who is leading and who the running mate is. They (MCP and UTM) have kept it secret for their own reasons. So to me delaying to announce the alliance leader isn’t a problem if the members of both parties have already agreed on the matter,” said Phiri.

During the signing ceremony almost all the speakers that included Chakwera, Chilima and Joyce Banda spoke highly that the alliance will unify Malawians.

However, Munthali and Phiri while they agree say it will depend on the message the parties in the alliance will be preaching to Malawians arguing people’s interest should come first.

“It doesn’t come automatically that once you are in an alliance then people will be united, but the key will be the messages that Chilima and Chakwera will be preaching to the country. To be honest with you Malawi needs a leader who will unify the country across political, regional and tribal background,” said Munthali.

Phiri adds that the MCP-UTM and its partners in alliance stand a chance of winning the forthcoming presidential poll as compared to the DPP and United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance.

“I would say that the UTM and MCP alliance has an edge over the DPP and UDF alliance. If all factors are constant I can say UDF popularity has been going down and that based on the last election’s which were annulled by the Constitutional Court, DPP already penetrated in the strongholds of UDF,” said Phiri.

On Thursday UTM and MCP signed the alliance agreement at Kamuzu Institute of Sports in Lilongwe at an event where issues of the alliance leadership were avoided.

UTM president, Saulos Chilima, who is also the State Vice President, only advised supporters from both camps to accept whoever will be appointed to lead the alliance.

His counterpart, Lazarus Chakwera, said they will unveil the alliance torchbearer and the running mate at an appropriate time.