Shanil Muluzi joins People’s Party
Former first lady Patricia Shanil Muluzi has joined front line politics registering her membership with the Peoples Party (PP) and is under intense pressure to contest as Member of Parliament in
Balaka West Constituency.
Shanil, who is former wife to the former president Bakili Muluzi, made the announcement at Ntcheu Boma Community Ground over the weekend where she was welcomed into the party by vice president Khumbo Kachali, some cabinet ministers and PP officials.
She said it was naturally expected that as a prominent woman in Malawi she would support a fellow woman to succeed as Head of State.
“What would the world think of a woman of my calibre joining or supporting another party when we have a woman as Head of State? If President Joyce Banda succeeds posterity will have a Malawian woman as an equal in society, but if she fails because women failed to support her, we will have all failed and we would have taken a Malawian woman back onto dark ages,” said Shanil, according to The Nation.
She said she was no longer a member of the United Democratic Front where she belonged to by virtue of her marriage with the former president and president of the party.
She said: “It is on record. I now belong to PP. I want to support my fellow woman.”
Shanil confirmed that she was “under pressure” to stand as MP in 2014 in Balaka West Constituency. She said would make her position known in due course.
She was former President Muluzi’s second wife after separating with his first wife Annie Muluzi.
The two stayed together as a family during Muluzi’s second-five year term of office and Muluzi’s first five-years out of power. However, about two years ago, the two decided to divorce on what was described as in-reconcilable reasons.
Bakili Muluzi stays at his retirement home BCA Hill Residence in Blantyre whilst his former wife, Shanil stays in her home village in Balaka.
She was one of Malawi’s most respected First Ladies the country has ever had and spent most of her time in office doing charity work and fighting for rights of children and women.
Shanil is credited for the Freedom Foundation Trust she found when she was first lady and reached out to poor Malawians with her charity work.
Kachali told district PP officials to welcome all people coming to the party.
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