Political scientist George Chaima says UTM Party has cultivated a crop of members that has no respect for its own constitution and leadership.
Chaima was reacting to the decision by Vice President Michael Usi to shun the UTM Party presidential race by not submitting his nomination papers by the end of deadline citing gross violation of the party’s constitution by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to Chaima, people who have no respect for the constitution were a threat to society.
“If they cannot respect the authority and power they established, and if they can also choose not to respect and obey the constitution, who are they going to trust when they get into government?
If you choose to break the constitution it means you have no respect for human beings. I want to agree with what the party president has said; he has chosen not to side with the law breakers,” said Chaima.
While concuring with Chaima, another political analyst Chrispin Mphande said the conflict in UTM is about self-interest and feared that it will lead to its death.
“Tolerance is required if this issue is to be resolved. Otherwise we will see Usi going ine direction with his followers and the other camp going the other direction,” he said.
Four aspirants have filled their nomination papers for the presidency of the party. These are Patricia Kaliati, Newton Kambala, Matthews Mtumbuka and Dalitso Kabambe.
The party’s Administrative Secretary Augustine Mtendere has, however indicated that the elective convention, slated for this weekend in Mzuzu, will proceed as planned.
