By Kenneth Jali & Arnold Namanja
Over 100 former United Transformation Movement (UTM) members on Monday drummed up support for President Prof. Peter Mutharika, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance candidate ahead of fresh presidential elections tentatively set for June 23, 2020.
Led by Willard Msosa, UTM 2019 parliamentary seat aspirant for Blantyre West, representative of the former UTM party followers held a press briefing in Blantyre advocating for Mutharika’s candidature.
He said the DPP-UDF alliance candidate was the only one in the three-horse-race election capable of implementing various development activities in the country.
“If you want continued development, vote for Mutharika because he is the only one with the interest of Malawians at heart. Malawians should not make a mistake to vote for a candidate from the opposition. Mutharika has already demonstrated commitment to develop the nation in his first five years in office,” Msosa pointed out.
He added that, “Mutharika is a democrat at heart after Bakili Muluzi. He has demonstrated patience since matters of the 2019 presidential elections went to court. He has been tolerant to people that took to the streets against his nullified re-election.”
Msosa blamed the opposition for taking matters of the 2019 presidential elections to court, noting that the court proceedings halted the wheels of the country’s economy.
“Despite the fact that the court process concluded with an order for a fresh presidential election; Malawians do not have the money in their pockets,” he claimed.
Msosa said, “People are suffering because of the lost one year that could have otherwise been used to develop people’s livelihoods as well as the country’s economy.”
Former UTM Regional Campaign Director for the South, Beston Maulidi encouraged people in the country to vote for President Mutharika and his running mate Atupele Muluzi because their visionary and dynamic leadership.
“Apart from asking all those who have jumped ship from UTM, we are encouraging people to vote for President Mutharika and Muluzi because the former has demonstrated that he is capable of transforming the country by spreading development across the country without regard to regions,” he said.
UTM Secretary General, Patricia Kaliati did not pick up her mobile phone to comment on the matter.
