African Elections Project (Accra)
Tiwonge Ng'ona
18 May 2009
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday ended its campaign with President Bingu wa Mutharika declaring that he will win the general elections with a landslide victory.
The President made the declaration during a whistle stop tour he had around Blantyre where he visited six town ships namely Kachere, Bangwe, Ndirande, Zingwangwa, Chirimba and Chilomoni.
“I will win with a landslide victory because the people of Malawi are development cautious and they will vote for me. I have delivered in the past five years I have been president,” he said in Chilomoni where he had his last stoppage of the whistle stop tour.
The President said he has delivered all he promised the people of Malawi like empowering women, attaining food security, improving road networks and healthy services among others.
“I have delivered all I promised. I am a man who fulfils what I promise and I am warning the opposition that they are in for a shock. They are the people who denied to pass a bill on water which if passed could have improved availability of good water in this area,” he said.
Among the common messages from the whistle stop included a call for people to go in their large numbers and vote for DPP.
At each stoppage Mutharika attacked Malawi Congress Party presidential candidate John Tembo and former president Bakili Muluzi who is United Democratic Front (UDF) chairman.
The President described Tembo as a cruel man who cannot be trusted to rule Malawi.
“Tembo is a man behind all the atrocities which took place during the one party rule of Malawi Congress Party (MCP),” Mutharika said.
UDF and MCP are in a coalition with Tembo as the presidential candidate.
Speaking about the UDF and MCP coalition Mutharika claimed the marriage has no manifesto.
If voted into power for the second term of office Mutharika has promised to construct more boarding schools, roads and hospitals.
He has also promised to continue promoting women, create job opportunities by providing loans to the youths to start businesses, reduce further the price of fertilizer and make safe water available in almost all urban households.
During the whistle stop Mutharika was in the company of his running mate Joyce Banda and other DPP officials.
A mobile television, hummer vehicles and DPP buses where on the display to add colour and pomp to the whistle stop.
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