Former president Peter Mutharika yesterday reiterated his message that he will contest and win in next year's poll but took a considerable swipe at President Lazarus Chakwera's leadership saying he is only appointing people from the Central Region and loans under National Economic Empowerment Fund [Neef] are only being given to people from the Central Region.
In his address during a rally dubbed Blue Sunday and held under the theme 'Making Malawi better again', he told a blue sea of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters and others that the Tonse Alliance, which ousted him in the June 23 2020 court-sanctioned fresh presidential election, has given Malawians a raw deal, adding; "We want a better Malawi for all people in the country, not just one family, region or tribe."
In response to Mutharika tribalist jibe at Chakwera, Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu, who is also the official government spokesperson, said Mutharika sounded bitter and his tone reminded Malawians of how absent he was when he was in office.
"When he mentioned nepotism he only reminded us of a whole government set up from one region, when he talked about corruption he only helped us remember the cement gate, Escom and many others," he said.
The question with regards to which administration, between Mutharika and Chakwera, is more tribalistic is one for debate because both of these regimes have had critical criticism to that regard.
But Mutharika, in continuing his address, said he had taken close to a year to decide on calls by DPP members for him to contest at the convention because he needed to consult his family and others.
He said: "Following the consultations and advice, I will contest at the DPP convention and I will be on the presidential ballot in 2025 and I will win again!
"I want to tell Malawians that they should not feel discouraged because God has not abandoned us. We think that if we can come back to the government, we can resolve the problems Malawians are facing in two years."
Mutharika cited increased cost of living, slow and weak interventions to food insecurity during lean season, what he called "economic mismanagement and selective justice in fighting corruption as some of the failures of the Tonse Alliance administration led by President Lazarus Chakwera.
Ironically, the Tonse Alliance also rode on the platform of discrediting Mutharika's administration on almost the same shortfalls, including corruption to boot him out.
The 83-year-old said the current administration was arresting DPP members while Malawi Congress Party (MCP) politicians linked to alleged corrupt acts are left scot-free.
Mutharika vowed that once in power in 2025, he will take action against those looting State coffers, but are not being prosecuted.
The rally was attended by a horde of DPP members of Parliament (MPs) as well as Mzimba North legislator Yeremia Chihana of Alliance for Democracy and Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua who won on People's Party ticket and briefly served in Mutharika's last Cabinet in 2020. Former Reserve Bank of Malawi governor Dalitso Kabambe, who earlier expressed interest to vie for the DPP presidency, was also in attendance.
It was also a first DPP rally Mutharika addressed since fired DPP vice-president responsible for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa, who aspired for the party's presidency, quit and formed the People's Development Party after years of legal battles against DPP.
Other speakers at the rally included Leader of Opposition in Parliament George Chaponda, Blantyre City South legislator Noel Lipipa and Thyolo Thava MP Mary Navicha.
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In his speech, Chaponda thanked Mutharika for appointing him as Leader of Opposition in Parliament and hailed Navicha for her contribution in an acting capacity.
Navicha, who is also DPP director of women, said "We are firmly behind APM because we know that his enemies are the problems Malawians are facing."
On his part, Lipipa said road projects in Manja Township, Manase and Nancholi in Blantyre City South Constituency as well as construction of stadiums for FCB Nyasa Bullets and Might Mukuru Wanderers, initiated during the Mutharika era, have all stalled.
Recently, the issue of the two teams' stadiums came up in Parliament and Ministry of Youth and Sports indicated that the projects were still being implemented.
