Malawi opposition divided

When general elections were far away, opposition blocks were speaking with one voice giving false hopes that they would go into elections as one front. They never run short of words of how easy they would remove President Bingu wa Mutharika.

The past three years Mutharika and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opposition fronts marshaled by main block Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have been able to play hard and effective tackles on Mutharika leadership.
Dictating what should happen and what should not, taking advantage of their numerical advantages.

In the national assembly opposition have been winning when it comes to voting on bills. Despite being in different parties they have been working together, doing political activities together including holding mass rallies.

United Democratic Front (UDF) a party which sponsored Mutharika before he dumped on accusations of corruption, to form his DPP, has been foaming with vengeous in the the years.

Another heavy weight politician Gwanda Chakuamba who before 2004 elections was a big force in Malawi politics forced his party New Republican Party into joining forces with his former rivals in the opposition, to remove Mutharika come 2009 elections.

But with just 16 months things have changed.with everybody wanting to at least rule Malawi once in life time.

The foregoing according to political commentators makes Mutharika getting even stronger towards elections than was immediately after getting into office.

Recently, main opposition Malawi Congress Party president John Tembo held a number of mass rallies in the populous city of Blantyre but avoided talking anything about opposition unity ahead of the polls.

His speech was a total disappointment as he failed to clear mist regarding opposition coalition particularly with fellow opposition United Democratic Front (UDF).

Worse though he also avoided making any statements UDF chairman Bakili Muluzi, the former president who desires to bounce back to the country’s presidency after serving for ten years before Mutharika. Tembo failed to say anything about this man who has been considered his political bedfellow in the opposition.

Coincidentally the absence of UDF members or any other opposition party members his series of rallies, sent signals that all is not well in the opposition.
This rather confirmed a recent statement by Ishamel Chafukira member of MCP who said his party was determined to go solo in the next general election.

“If other parties are willing to enter into alliance they need to know that we are the main block and they are our subordinates, we will require all top positions,” he said.

Similarly when Muluzi arrived from his foreign trip at Chileka Airport two weeks ago Tembo despite being in Blantyre during that same time was absent to welcoming him.

Just days after Tembo’s rallies Muluzi has gone through the same places holding his rallies. This explains the absence of unity in Malawi opposition. And Gwanda Chakuamba instead of concentrated on the already existing political groups, he is busy in court fighting reinstatement of his party deregistered last year.

It is interpreted that Chakuamba who is much described as a political spent force is trying to create a negotiating bet. If he tolerates automatic death of his party, it would mean he would not be able to negotiate anything with fellow opposition.
Meanwhile political commentators have predicted that Mutharika has an upper hand over opposition which is replete with recycled politicians.

says he is independent of United Democratic Front (UDF) despite working together for 2009 general election. He also says the opposition parties working with UDF are forming a single block to represent the South and will compete with presidential candidates from other regions in the emotional elections coming on in 2009.

He said he has not joined the former ruling party and does not intend to join Chair Bakili Muluzi’s party because he has his own grouping which has independent ideology.

He said this during a public rally in Phalombe addressed by Muluzi last Sunday.
He disclosed that the idea behind their working relationship with the UDF is to support one candidate in the South to contest with other candidates from the other regions namely Central and North.

This reflects that though currently the opposition seems working together in Parliament the gurus are separated on their agendas especially with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) whose President John Tembo already announced he would stand in 2009. In a great way Gwanda ruled out any alliance with the MCP.
“We are supporting one candidate in the South, our candidate will contest with other candidates from the other regions and he will emerge victors, our candidate is UDF chairman Bakili Muluzi,” he said.

Noel Mbowera a political analyst has said Bingu may have an edge taking into account the collapse of opposition unity in the country.

“The incumbent may have an upper hand, due his fair governance, he also has upper hand due to disunity of opposition, we are coming to terms that in Malawi, opposition cannot work as one, they differ in so many agendas,” he said.