Chakwera tears into DPP
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera has declared it is a national priority to overthrow, through the ballot, the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
But DPP has dismissed Chakwera’s assertions, saying they are marks of a frustrated and angry man who lost an election.
Addressing guests at the party’s Tambala Night dinner at Comesa Hall in Blantyre on Friday, Chakwera said when Malawians step into the voting booth to get the DPP out, they would not be doing it for the love of their tribe, but to fulfil a national priority.
“In fact, they will not even be doing it for the love of another party, because we all know by now that every party is capable of being intoxicated by greed and power.
“Rather, they will be doing it for the love of their children, for the love of their neighbours, for the love of their relatives and for the love of their country,” said the MCP president.
Chakwera, accompanied by his deputy Sidik Mia, said the DPP administration is a government that has to go on grounds that it is dishonest, incompetent, clueless, recalcitrant, abusive, violent, divisive, wasteful and secretive.
But DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said since Chakwera lost the 2014 poll, he is a “very angry man” that he has not spoken anything good about the DPP administration.
“The man has specialised in insulting the President [Peter Mutharika]. We are, actually, not surprised with his outbursts. He is very angry and has hatred for our President.
“He wanted to be President yesterday, unfortunately, he will not be. Let him insult us, but Malawians know Chakwera is a total failure. The people will judge him,” Dausi said.
At the dinner, Chakwera said MCP is more capable of solving national problems than any other party in the country.
“The next government will be formed by MCP because Malawians are tired of voting for parties with manifestos full of empty and broken promises,” said Chakwera.
Earlier, Mia said Chakwera had capacity to turn around the country’s fortunes, complaining that currently, billions of kwacha are only circulating around some 50 individuals in as far as businesses are concerned, out of 17 million Malawians.
The Tambala Night organising chairperson Henry Kachaje, said they anticipate to raise K5 billion for campaign through various activities.
Kachaje said for the remaining few months to the polls, if 100 dedicated supporters can each deposit K10 000 every month, their target is achievable.
The party’s spokesperson Rev Maurice Munthali said yesterday he was yet to be briefed about how much the Tambala Night dinner raised.
The dinner, which had low patronage, evidently being held a region where the party is still trying to make inroads, was attended by, among others, several national executive committee (NEC) members, the party’s legislators, parliamentary and local government aspirants and well-wishers and followers from the private sector.
According to secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka, the dinner was sponsored by some of the party’s people of the good will. n
