Convention will decide on alliance—Atupele

UDF president Atupele Muluzi says the party’s convention will decide whether to go it alone in  the  2019 Tripartite Elections or alliance with governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Muluzi, said last week the United Democratic Front was keeping options open, but at the moment he could only confirm his candidature at the party’s convention.

However, Muluzi was elusive on his personal views on the matter.

Quizzed on when the decision to contest the 2019 elections will be made, Muluzi said the party will decide on the matter at the convention and wait for the convention’s winner decision.

“I am committed now to serve as minister and very committed to continue supporting the government. We have been hearing all sorts of rumours of what I meant last week,” he said.

Muluzi, who is Minister of Health in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet, also spoke glowingly of the achievements by the DPP government.

He said: “We have to follow democratic processes which require that UDF must elect its leadership first at the convention.

“My position is that I remain serving as health minister and I will continue to do so but while doing so, I will present myself to the convention.”

Muluzi said UDF was proud of the achievements of DPP such as the stabilisation of the economy and winning back confidence in the public finance management system following the Cashgate scandal of 2013.

Muluzi’s remarks follow a meeting at UDF headquarters in Blantyre two weeks ago where the Machinga North East legislatior hinted on another go at running for the presidency. n