Just after Chilima’s case got discontinued, UTM stormed Chiradzulu wooing voters

UTM officials yesterday, Sunday stormed Chiradzulu district just hours after the news broke out that the director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala was discontinuing a corruption case against Vice President Dr Saulos Chilima.

UTM secretary general Patricia Kaliati and other party officials went flat out at a political rally selling Chilima as the UTM presidential candidate in 2025.

They said Chilima would be on the presidential ballot paper and were upbeat that the UTM president would unseat President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera during the polls.

This parties away rumours that Chilima has gone into an agreement with Malawi Congress Party to help the 2025 presidential candidacy of President Dr Chakwera.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chamkakala has already written to the Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara lining the reasons for discontinuance and the announcement is expected as early as next week.

The decision by Chilima to be in the ballot paper opens a three-way race against Chakwera and Former President and DPP leader Professor Peter Mutharika.

Chilima who was arrested in November 2022 has dutifully been attending his court cases, but the matter has been stuck at the evidence disclosure stage, as the Anti-Corruption Bureau could not provide all requests from the defence on disclosures.

Professor Peter Mutharika, presumptive candidate for the former ruling party the DPP is expected to launch his yearlong campaign at Njamba Freedom Park next weekend and if Chilima’s case is off the court, the UTM presumptive candidate Saulos Chilima is likely to hit the political road soon.

MCP declared candidate President Chakwera has already been on the road most of this year just as former President Joyce Banda of Peoples Party (PP) who has addressed two well-packed rallies at Area 23 in Lilongwe and Nancholi in Blantyre within the past month.

Chilima’s coming back into the political front line will change the probabilities and configuration of 2025 and his decisions including over alliances and issues to be addressed will be closely watched as he has remained at the side of President Chakwera despite his legal challenges.