The Blue Saturday @ Mgona rally in Lilongwe
* DPP members at Saturday’s Mgona mass rally in Lilongwe endorse APM to stand again as Head of State
* APM has unfulfilled agenda to uplift the country’s failing economic situation
* What he warned Malawians during the 2020 campaign that voting for MCP will lead to economic disaster has been vindicated
* Anyone wishing to contest for the 2025 presidential race should quit DPP and form own party
By Duncan Mlanjira
During the political rally organised by the Central Region executive committee of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) — dubbed ‘Blue Saturday @ Mgona’ — vice-president (Centre), Zelia Chikale emphasized that Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) has the constitutional right to stand again as the Head of State.
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While assuring that it is up to APM to decide whether he wants to contest again, Chakale asked the huge gathering of DPP members if it was their wish for the former President to rule again — to which she received a resounding vote of confirmation.
She went on to say that anyone wishing to contest for the 2025 presidential race should quit the DPP and form their own party or contest for the party presidency during the DPP’s convention — at which APM will express his intention to retain the leadership.
The Blue Saturday @ Mgona was organised by Chakale — who is the national organizing secretary — that also has Chimwemwe Chipungu and many Central Region Committee members as speakers aThe rally spiced by performances by musicians Dan Lu and Lawrence Mbenjere.
The DPP’s Regional Governor for the South, Charles Mchacha — who is Member of Parliament for Thyolo West and has in recent weeks made same calls that APM will stand again as Party president as well as contest for the country’s presidency in 2025 race — reiterated his stand as a vote of confidence from the Southern Region and the rest of the country’s DPP membership.
Charles Mchacha, DPP regional governor for the South
He concurred with Chakale that those wishing to contest for the country’s presidency in 2025 race, should quit the DPP and form their own party or to contest against APM for the Party presidency during DPP’s convention.
“For sure, APM will beat them to the Party presidency and that’s why we are saying they should just quit the DPP and form their own party,” he said in an interview.
This was ahead of a rally which beleaguered DPP vice-president, Kondwani Nankhumwa organised at the same Mgona venue where it is reported that he was set to launch his own party named Chilungamo Party.
However, the poster enticing people to the rally had scream hashtag at the bottom, saying: “DPP woyeee! Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika woyeee!” — a far cry from Nankhumwa, who is at leadership feud with APM that has stretched since 2020.
Analysts view this as Nankhumwa’s ploy to entice DPP members to the rally believing it was to do with their party, which Mchacha said was just a lame tactic.
“The Blue Saturday @ Mgona rally attracted a huge crowd of DPP members, who attended in solidarity that APM should stand again because they know that APM has unfulfilled agenda to uplift the country’s failing economic situation.
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“What APM warned Malawians during campaign that voting for MCP will lead to economic disaster has been vindicated today as we are experiencing skyrocketing prices of essential commodities such as cooking oil, fuel and many others.
“As a Party, we are encouraging Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to stand again as DPP President and as the Head of State because it is his constitutional right having been defeated — not by the vote — but through the Court that nullified the 2019 presidential election.
“This country needs mikoko yogona (matured leadership) which APM showed in his tenure (2014-2019) as most of the developments being completed by the new administration are his initiatives.”
He also hinted that the DPP and United Democratic Front (UDF) Alliance used for the 2020 fresh presidential election still stands ahead of the 2025 general elections pitting APM and the UDF president Atupele Muluzi as his running mate.
The DPP-UDF Alliance for the 2020 race
Also in support for APM to stand again and uplift the economic situation of the country is DPP Councillor for Soche Ward, Leonard Chimbanga, who has made his stand known through social media, Facebook.
In an interview, Chimbanga said the calls for APM to stand again come after taking cognizance that “he was a successful President during his tenure as he delivered towards economic stability with direct donor budgetary support”.
“He is very popular amongst the DPP membership and, yes, a lot of them would like him to go for another round of the presidency and I believe he can stand and win.
“Let me emphasize that this is my personal position but it is also what many others are supporting as well as it happened yesterday in Lilongwe when the massive gathering attested during vice-president for the Centre Hon. Chikale.
Chimbanga with APM
“She had asked them if they would like to see APM rule again to which she received a resounding confirmation — attesting that our leader is still as popular as before.”
Chimbanga further wished that the DPP-UDF Alliance be maintained, saying the “combination of APM and Atupele can win the election even if it were held today”.
“The Tonse Alliance over-promised Malawians by pledging to take them to Canaan. They promised cheap fertilizer to be pegged at K4,950 but today a bag of this commodity is as high as K50,000, with others selling it at K70,000.
“They have failed completely and Malawians are poorer today than they were during APM’s administration as prices of essential commodities are going up almost on a daily basis.”
He said even the people who touted and voted for the Tonse Alliance are disappointed with the turn of events, adding that the DPP will pick up from its shortfalls and also analyzing the weaknesses of the current administration ready to build a strong foundation of the next administration.
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Let Apm stands for presidency as we have already seen his ability of uplifting this country through development and stability of the kwacha