Maravi

Malawi opposition candidate confident of beating Wa Mutharika

Malawi opposition candidate confident of beating Wa Mutharika
Written by Chibaula Silwamba

MALAWI Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate John Tembo has said former president Bakili Muluzi’s endorsement of his candidature has increased his chances of winning next month’s presidential elections.

In a telephone interview from Malawi on Monday following Muluzi’s withdrawal from the presidential race and subsequent endorsement of his candidacy over the weekend, Tembo said the alliance between Muluzi’s United Democratic Front (UDF) and MCP was a formidable combination that would ensure that he wins the elections and become Malawi’s next president. “This is good because he is endorsing on behalf of the UDF party,” Tembo said.

Asked if Muluzi’s endorsement had increased his chances of winning the elections, Tembo responded: “I had higher chances already, this adds to it. It’s a formidable combination now.”

Tembo dismissed assertions that the coalition was a “marriage of convenience”.

On President Bingu Wa Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s statement that the formation of a coalition between the two opposition political parties was not a threat to the governing party, Tembo said he did not expect the DPP to speak good about him and his party.

“The DPP is my opponent; how can my opponent comment favourably about me? No! They are not expected to say anything good about me,” said 77-year-old Tembo.

After the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) last month disqualified Muluzi from contesting the presidential election, he opted to form an electoral alliance with Tembo who will be the presidential candidate for the alliance in the May 19, 2009 presidential elections.

Tembo was the top advisor to the late first president of Malawi Dr Hastings Kazumu Banda and served in several ministerial portifolios since independence in 1964 to 1994.

During the 2004 elections, Tembo who was the presidential candidate for the late Banda’s MCP party came second from President Bingu Wa Mutharika who had contested the presidency on the then Republican president Muluzi’s governing UDF party ticket.

President Wa Mutharika differed with Muluzi over the head of state’s anti corruption crusade because the latter was arrested on corruption charges.

Since then, Muluzi and President Wa Mutharika have been bitter rivals, as a result Wa Mutharika resigned from Muluzi’s UDF and formed his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Muluzi is still appearing in court on corruption charges.

As presidential candidate for the MCP/UDF presidential candidate, Tembo is expected to be the main opponent of President Wa Mutharika in the May 19 presidential election which is also being contested for by five other candidates including a woman.

Labels: BAKILI MULUZI, JOHN TEMBO, MCP

posted by MrK @ 3:11 PM