Mutharika masterstroke to win 50+1 in Malawi fresh election
Political commentators have lauded President Peter Mutharika for setting the tone to garner the 50-percent-plus-one majority to win the fresh presidential elections which Parliament has set to take place on May 19 2020 subject to presidential assent.
Mutharika and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Tuesday swiftly moved to announce its electoral alliance with United Democratic Front (UDF) ahead of first ever fresh elections in May to achieve more than 50 percent of the total votes required for the winner.
Until now, a president was elected through the first-past-the-post system that had been in place since the country attained democracy in 1994.
Mutharika was narrowly elected by 38.5 percent of the voters in May’s controversial elections, which prompted the Constitutional Court to order a review of the law.
Winning option
A political science lecturer at Blantyre International University, Sherrif Kaisi, said an alliance is the only option for political parties, which want to win with more than 50 percent of the vote.
“We have [political] parties that would say, ‘No I am going alone,’ there is no question about that. But the question is – you going to win? Even in the just passed election, which was contested, you will see that no one even came close to that 50 [percent of the vote]. We are saying there [is] no single party in the country that would win 50+1,” said Kaisi on Voice of America (VOA).
Apart from former presidents Bakili Muluzi in 1999 and the late Bingu wa Mutharika in 2009, no candidate has won the presidency with over 50 percent of the vote.
In an interview with Nyasa Times, social and governance commentator Makhumbo Munthali said UDF was more likely to be in favour an alliance with the DPP than with UTM or Malawi Congress Party (MCP) because the perceived value that UDF would add to DPP vote.
“Certainly, UDF would bring some votes to DPP but I am rather sceptic if such votes would be enough to amass the required 50%+1. Let’s not forget that 1+1 is not always 2 as sometimes it can be 1,” said Munthali.
“We need not to pay a blind eye to the current context that UDF had already been swallowed by DPP (in as far as their eastern region support base is concerned) and that its popularity has been dwindling overtime that is if some credible survey findings by Afrobarometer and IPOR survey findings are anything to go by. That alliance should only be viewed as a step towards realizing a 50%+1 but DPP and UDF still have to do more in order to reach the required threshold,” he added.
Nevertheless, Munthali pointed out that the DPP-UDF alliance would still pile pressure on the need for UTM and MCP to go for an alliance.
A journalist writing on social media under his Facebook user name Mulotwa Mulotwa posted that it is becoming clear DPP has a strategy to win and get 50 + 1 and their energies are towards a winning formula.
“At least, they are displaying a better understanding of the ConCourt judgement and its implications. They are not even allowing their internal wrangles to distract them,” he commented.
“Ignore the main opposition parties false energy, misplaced confidence and childlike behaviour as though winning elections is a foregone conclusion – it is all infantile. This was supposed to be time to unite for a common purpose, show desire to rid the country of its pitfalls and put up a robust elections monitoring system [ once beaten twice shy].
“Make no mistake, the next election is not about the number of rallies, pomp, whistle-stops, rhetoric, radio sound bites or big newspaper headlines or Facebook fanaticism. It is about forming a united political union that cuts across tribal, regional and political blocks/bases. Voters that part of the world are subjective and petty. As long as MCP & UTM are not united, DPP and its alliance partners will carry the day. The earlier that sunk, the better,” commented Mulotwa.
‘Malawi first’
In announcing the a working alliance between their political parties, Mutharika and young Muluzi underlined that it was only through unity, peace and order that Malawi can develop.
The two leaders said they are driven by common values to improve the quality of lives of Malawians.
In his brief statement, Mutharika said DPP and UDF share similar values of being democratic, peaceful and development-oriented.
Mutharika said unity was a prerequisite in developing Malawi.
“We belong to one family. Our alliance is founded on common values to unite in developing our country,” said Mutharika.
In his statement, Muluzi also said UDF and DPP believe in unity and peace to serve the interests of all Malawians.
The UDF leader said serving Malawians comes first over personal ambition and that unity between DPP and UDF and among all Malawians that the country can achieve enduring development.
“There is an African proverb that says that ‘If you want to go fast you go alone, but if you want to go far you go together’. It is in that spirit that I have set aside any personal ambition in favour of serving Malawi,” said Muluzi.
While none of the leaders made a direct reference to the conduct of MCP and UTM since the elections, their statements were loaded with undertones of condemnation of the violence which MCP and UTM have perpetrated in the past 11 months.
Since the election last year, MCP and UTM have waged a campaign of political terrorism, perpetrating acts of violence targeting businesses, innocent citizens and private and public property.
The hooliganism has affected the development of the country and people’s livelihoods.
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These two useless journalists Zawadi & Muheya. Do you guys know what terrorism is????? And those that the MDF were beating the Cadets who terrorized the people especially in Blantyre were they UTM or MCP? So why come with your nonsense on this platform??? Just go & celebrate your alliance there whilst youre waiting for your fate. Malawi is not a dynasty. It does not belong to the Muluzis & Mutharikas.
I have never seen a fool like young muluzi.what does he think has changed about muthalika?the same guy damped him in 2019 and now he thinks it’s okay.Young muluzi, is it maluzi?
Chilima was never voted by southerners his most votes came from the north especially Mzuzu. Maybe also from those his four mps constituency voted for him not UDF who was frustrated with its party against DPP. Let’s wait and see how people will respond to there vote casting.
Let’s wait and see
Musaiwale kuti ambili mwa omwe anavotela Chilima anali a UDF. Anadzapanga izi mwachiphyela mtima
Let’s do a simple arithmetic. APM alegedely scored 38% at the last election compared with 6% for Atupele. Add the two and you get 44%. This ofcource assumes the 38% was clean. If, on the other hand, it was through rigging, the score could reduce to far below 38%, say 30%,, in which the combined score for the newly weds would be 36% or even less Let’s now look at the possible Chakwera and Chilima pair. The former scored 35% while the latter had 20%. What do you get when you add the two? 55%.such that there would be no… Read more »
That was past b4 the killing, stealing and touching people’s property
Zawadi wa UDF, Muheya wa DPP, can they right sense??? UTM never engaged in political terrorism NEVER!!!
APM has pulled a masterclass considering that the people who have been pushing for the annulment of last year’s poll and advocating for 50+1 are tearing themselves apart.
Get your maths right!!! (38%+4.6%)=42.6%. Be reminded that the 38% was a grossly tppexed result. Yojudulira!!!, kkkk. And now the new MEC chair will not be hand-picked by another thief. Ndiye master class ‘yo tiyionela limodzi
The dead north is still divided and debating how it votes without considering regions. Divided it loses development, it loses elections but still builds castles in the air claiming superior intelligence and decision making. Your friends joining hands as one region and the North as usual will divide itself between the central and Southern region alliances. Being united is not the same as regionalism… Can the North wake up please.
The NORTH wanted 50+1 without realising it is actually to their disadvantage. They bribed judges to cancel the 2019 presidential results. Not surprising because our judiciary is dominated by people from the north. They connived with Speaker of Parliament (again from the North) to use underhand methods to change electoral law to 50+1. They failed t change the constitution and then decided to change the Act. They have HRDC loud-mouthed activists causing violence. Supposedly, their complaint is that the north is marginalised and yet most of the people in the high office in government and outside are from the north.… Read more »
That’s when you know kuti a northerner is not someone to bullshit.
A northerner has ethics. Mukhalira kulira choncho about bribing judges. Go to school my friend. Osakhalira kukumba mbewa and zinamwali!
If you hate north Malawians osangowawuza Kut ayime pawokha.u think DPP and UDF alliance will end poverty mukunamiza apa.
Could you see all those Malawians across the country go to streets of their Cities/towns in large numbers to seek justice? I don’t think any DPP member took part in those massive demos! Those were MCP & UTM followers. And those are MCP-UTM Alliance votes come May 19.
How I wish malawi had more civilised voters like the northeners. I am partly from the south and partly from the centre, but the truth be told mcp supporters vote for the party not for the person, even if you put bakha on the sit, they will still vote for it. The same logic can be applied to the blue south and the yellow eastern region. SO LETS BE OBJECTIVE HERE, its only the north that sees no colours. Their votes are divided only because they are civilised voters. SO may be we should start convincing the north not to… Read more »
And how I wish Malawi had more civilized citizenry like you Michael.
Uli ndi mtima oyanjanitsa. I am partly from the north and south.
Your analysis of MCP followers voting on party colors is true. Year 2009, north voted vehemently for Bingu not because he was DPP, but because he was Bingu.
Have you been to the north? What is dead about it when people from your region flock there work in farms, do kabaza business and street vending?
DPP had to rush into the alliance, before UDF is plucked by other parties