The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will no longer exist after the 2nd July 2020 Presidential Elections as the leadership mantle returns to the United Democratic Front (UDF) through Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s eminent appointment of Atupele Muluzi as his Running Mate.
An impeccable source within the UDF strategy team has confirmed that Bakili Muluzi has confided in the UDF Veterans whom he invited to his BCA Hills residence, for an update of his political shenanigans around a return to power of the UDF through his son Atupele Muluzi.
Dr Muluzi sponsored the UDF veterans to start making the demands that Atupele Muluzi be appointed Running Mate to APM in the forthcoming elections and that failing which there will be an exodus of UDF followers to the MCP-UTM Alliance to exert pressure on Peter Mutharika to pick Atupele Muluzi as his running-mate.
Dr Muluzi, who has been around in politics and goes about boasting of being the political engineer, said in the meeting that “ufulu ukubwelera kwa omwe anabeledwa. I have been working tirelessly waiting for the day that we will reclaim that which was stolen from us by Bingu Wa Mutharika. APM is an invertebrate without a backbone and he has always executed the plans I have advised him to do. This time around, he will simply see the tide and give Atupele the position. Have no doubts about it,” said a source privy to the meeting.
According to the source, Bakili’s plan is to take advantage of the lack of succession in the DPP to ensure that his ‘operation take over’ successfully comes to pass. “The DPP has never had a succession plan at any time, and does not have one now. This is the reason why the hood of the party’s old guards is always quick to scheme the removal of anyone with ambition to succeed Mutharika. Look at Dr Saulos Chilima, Dr George Chaponda, Dr Thom Mpinganjira and soon- to- be- gotten- rid- of Kondwani Nankhumwa. These are examples of a lack of succession plan which Bakili Muluzi is taking advantage of,” said the source.
The source added that it is the general sentiments within the UDF that the DPP is at its weakest point because of the current bitter inside squabbling and non-stop shadow boxing over its leadership, and it is the time Bakili wants the UDF to go for the kill. The UDF also wants DPP to make good on its alliance agreement appointing its members to positions at embassies and in parastatals forthwith.
According to a Chancellor Collage based political analyst, DPP is a political party on the verge of collapse and the only sensible thing to do is to give back power to the rightful owners – the UDF. “Dr Muluzi has played smart with Peter Mutharika, pretending to be pleading for mercy in his 1.7 billion kwacha abuse of funds case, when in real sense he was subtly plotting to snatch back power from DPP through his son Atupele via a phoney DPP-UDF working coalition,” said the analyst.
The scheme is simple: to put pressure on Peter Mutharika to announce that Atupele Muluzi will be his running mate before the 6-7 May 2020 Nominations Paper Presentation to avoid any last minute surprises like it happened with Chimulilenji in 2019. DPP will present its papers on the 7th May 2020 and the agreement within the DPP through its political gurus including Francis Mphepo was to tag along UDF and ditch them at the last minute and pick Everton Chimulilenji as a running mate again.
“We will be the last party to present nomination papers as such Atupele Muluzi will have no option but to support our coalition as he will have no time to present papers to contest the 2 July 2020 elections” said a DPP strategist who has strong links to Madam Gertrude Mutharika, a close business associate and confidante to Norman Paulos Chisale.
It is an open secret that Peter Mutharika who is advanced in age and is not fully fit, will not be active administratively to run matters of the state after the 2020 elections. The UDF grand plan is in motion and will surely yield benefits as Peter Mutharika is only looking forward to a restful retirement.
Meanwhile Mulhako wa Alhomwe trustees held an emergency meeting on 29th April 2020 at its Chairman, Leston Mulli’s house in Mapanga, Blantyre where they resolved to oppose and block the appointment of Atupele Muluzi as running-mate to Peter Mutharika in the forthcoming fresh election. The Mulhako grouping clearly sees through Bakili Muluzi’s scheme to return to power through the DPP/UDF Alliance and has vowed to stop Mutharika from sacrificing what they say is their Lhomwe political party at the altar of Mutharika’s personal agreements with Bakili.
