UDF CONVENTION: Will Bakili Muluzi’s beloved son Atupele go unopposed?

The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) says will hold its elective conference in July this year with party’s former leader Atupele Muluzi ‘likely’ to go unopposed.

The month for the convention was agreed during party’s Nation Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which was held in Blantyre on Saturday.

According to UDF’s president Lilian Patel the NEC members have since chosen second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Mambo Adams as the chairperson for the conference.

Patel, who took over leadership of the party following the resignation of Muluzi on the position, told the media that will not contest at the convention.

So far only the son to former president Dr Bakili Muluzi, Atupele has expressed interest to lead the party into general election.

In one of his messages the former UDF leader, Atupele who left the party to venture into business, said he is the only hope for Malawians.

Atupele was UDF candidate in the 2014 presidential elections where he came fourth and in the nullified 2019 presidential also lost.

In the 2020 fresh presidential elections, Muluzi was running mate to former President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party.

UDF, a prominent political party in Malawi, was founded in 1992 by former president Dr. Muluzi otherwise known as “Atcheya”.

It came into power in 1994 under Muluzi, who was in power until 2004, serving two terms. It continued in power under Bingu wa Mutharika; however Muluzi remained the head of the party.

After succeeding Muluzi, Mutharika came into conflict with much of the party, including Muluzi, and he left the party in February 2005 to form the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

In 2009, it was the DPP which won the election. This led to mass defections from the UDF to the ruling DPP. The party however, continued to restructure.

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