UDF targeting youths—Atupele

United Democratic Front (UDF) president Atupele Muluzi says his party seeks to involve the youth in key positions to spur change as they are in majority.

Muluzi, who is Minister of Health in President Peter Mutharika’s administration, expressed the sentiments during a rally he addressed in Lilongwe’s Area 23 Township where he repeated an announcement made in Bangwe Township in Blantyre a fortnight ago that the party will hold its elective convention on August 1 and 2.

He said: “The greatest population of this country and Africa is made of the youth. So, if we cannot engage the youth in our party we cannot move forward.”

Muluzi, who is turning 40 this year, said all positions will be up for grabs at the UDF convention. He said he was hopeful UDF, which is in a working relationship with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will win the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

Muluzi, who launched his presidential bid in 2014 with a similar youth-oriented Agenda for Change, said he will not relinquish his ministerial post because he still wants to help the DPP administration achieve its development agenda.

While Muluzi said all positions will be open, UDF Central Region governor Martin Matabwa told the gathering that Muluzi has already been endorsed as a torch bearer for next year’s elections.

Balaka North legislator Lucius Banda, the sole UDF member of Parliament (MP) who did not move to the government benches in Parliament, is on record as having said he will contest for the party’s presidency at the convention.

In his comment, Muluzi welcomed Banda’s challenge, saying as a party member he was free to contest for the position. But Muluzi earlier warned he will outclass his challengers.

UDF will be the third party to hold a convention after the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) held theirs. n