(NYASATIMES) More parties to join MCP, UDF alliance

More parties to join MCP, UDF alliance
Nyasa Times 17 April, 2009 01:04:00

About seven opposition parties are set to be part of the Grand Coalition on MCP and UDF which political analysts have said will present a heavy challenge to President Bingu wa Mutharika.

Officals of the two parties have indicated that others parties which will support the electoral block includes NRP of Gwanda Chakuamba, Code of Ralph Kasambara, MPP of Uladi Mussa and MDP of Kamlepo Kalua.

However, reports indicate also that Aford officials are also consulting party membership on possibility of joining the Grand Coalition.

The parties will back presidential candidature of John Tembo and his running mate Brown Mpinganjira and that former president Bakili Muluzi’s stake in the whole equation will be unveiled during a mass rally organised for Saturday in Blantyre.

MCP spokesman Ishmael Chafukila assured that the alliance agreement will be unveiled and asked "MCP and UDF supporters to exercise patience".

Mzuzu University political analyst, Noel Mbowela told VOA that parties in opposition alliance have got a large following and also in the most populous areas of the country that is the Southern region and the Central region which poses threat to President Mutharika.

"Looking at these facts, what we are saying is that it is no prediction at this moment in time who is going to be the outright winner of the election," he said.

Mbowela said the pendulum of political opinion is changing in favour of the opposition since alliance was announced that that survey which favoured Mutharika to win by 60 percent are no longer in tune.

"The figures that people were quoting could make sense or were valid before the coalition that we are talking about. I think about a month or so ago, the president was indeed enjoying popular support. But soon after one of the aspirants who is the former president was stopped from contesting by the Malawi Electoral Commission and now looking at this coalition, I think those statistics have been greatly compromised. I think no one can now safely say with a lot of confidence that the president is going to enjoy that kind of support in terms of winning the elections of 60 percent," Mbowela pointed out.

He said the opposition coalition could undermine the expected strong performance of the ruling party.

"The coalition that we are talking about is quite massive and no one knows really what the outcome of the election would be like. You would agree with me that these two opposition parties have great support in many areas and coming together significantly improves their chances in the general election," he said.

Mbowela said the coalition risks implosion if it wins the elections since the two parties are ideologically different.

"It is very interesting and maybe we can even say that the future is not as bright as it looks now. The sharing of power indeed is one of the aspects that would also I think bring this coalition to a very unpredictable end. Why? Because you see the two parties that we are talking about have got two different policies. The other one is conservative and the other I liberal and also despite the differences in terms of political ideologies, the two parties have been enemies so to speak. And they have been operating like cats and dogs since the dawn of democratic dispensation. So, the sharing of power in this case is something that is going to reopen the kind of fighting and suspicion that has been there between the two parties," Mbowela noted .--(Additional reporting VOA)