Opposition Backbone Cracks in Malawi

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President John Tembo has handpicked semi-UDF Brown Mpinganjira for his presidential running mate. Deep divisions both in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and MCP have followed.

It was first the Opposition’s one voice, one war against five consecutive annual national budgets in a relentless political storm against their government and people’s interests. Now the Opposition is wrecked after the storm on the seashore of betrayal, confusion and anarchy. The rest is political drama of a deep tragic measure.

Trusted but cunning Mpinganjira betrays UDF Chairman Bakili Muluzi while Tembo drags “a political stranger” to MCP without knowledge of the party leadership. At the same time, Tembo also betrays Muluzi who was counting on an MCP-UDF alliance to dislodge incumbent President Bingu wa Mutharika.

As the drama unfolds, all those once touted in town as UDF alliance members have also picked their nomination papers from Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to try their luck on May 19 elections. This means besides Brown Mpinganjira – Gwanda Chakwamba, Ralph Kasambara and Kamlepo Kaluwa are not fighting with Muluzi. He is betrayed!

It may look like the hasty sandwiching together of Mpinganjira and Tembo is icing the cake for the MCP-UDF alliance. It is not. Muluzi was unaware of Mpinganjira’s intentions.

Two weeks ago in Mulanje, Mpinganjira announced his “unquestionable loyalty” to Muluzi. Those who listen to memory remembered that Mpinganjira spoke exactly the same way just before ditching UDF to form his National Alliance for Democracy. This is how Mpinganjira fools others, and this is a character Tembo is blind about.

Mpinganjira knows he cannot lead Malawi in 2009 because it is extremely difficult to defeat a candidate who is a sitting President. He is paving his way to power in 2014 because that will be what is called an open term when there is no sitting president contesting. Mpinganjira’s thinking and strategy is to frustrate the Opposition old guards and clear them out of the way in his political press-ups towards 2014 elections after Bingu wa Mutharika. This is what people may never of Mpinganjira.

Muluzi himself never really knew Mpinganjira, and he never probably learnt any lesson from history. “My loyalty to Muluzi is unquestionable,” and he quits him. That is why Muluzi may never recover from the shock of this betrayal both psychologically and politically.

It was at the same Mulanje rally that Mpinganjira reminded Muluzi never to forget that “it was the Sapitwa region that first asked you to stand again.” Yes, they first asked Muluzi in writing to return to power against the Malawi Constitution. And that is revealing.

It was the work of Mpinganjira – the masterminder of “Muluzi’s Come Back” to poison Muluzi with politically acidic advice that would wreck him to political shreds so that Muluzi must be buried right on the political stage. Mpinganjira’s support will go with NDA officials who infiltrated UDF and those bigwigs who want Muluzi to quit the stage for younger generations. That is why this drama is a tragedy for Muluzi and those who believed in his coming back.

John Tembo calculated on the division and betrayal in UDF. Tembo believes that by picking Mpinganjira who comes from Mutharika’s political stronghold, he will sway the President’s voters where they are strongest. Unfortunately, Mpinganjira does not own any significant political podium of his own in the Lomwe belt. He has only quietly played the betrayed Muluzi’s political child with a waiting tactic. Will Mpinganjira speak to the Democratic Progressive Party stronghold with the voice of the UDF where it lost roots? Will he import MCP where it does not exist three and half months to elections? And what is Tembo’s political wisdom?

But Tembo’s move has equally generated animosity inside MCP. Already, Speaker Louis Chimango, Bester Majoni and the Lilongwe MCP stronghold opposed the bluff of the MCP-UDF alliance. That is why Majoni’s fall during primary elections was stage-managed and Chimango has his own chiefs turned loose upon him suddenly. Tembo was out to punish those that opposed his intention to sell the MCP to Muluzi.

This time around, Tembo never consulted the MCP leaders of the Lilongwe party stronghold. They also are betrayed. As we go to press, there is a Consultative Process Meeting underground to chart how best to respond to Tembo’s undemocratic move that frustrates MCP potential and clean leaders. The division is deep and Tembo may not like the frustrated response of those capable Malawians he has undermined for so long under him.

It is all chaos and betrayal in the Opposition as presidential candidates fill in their nomination forms heading for May elections. There is no such time for them to get organized. The confusion and betrayals dishearten voters and faithfuls who look for straight-forward leaders. Is this collapsing of the Opposition an opportunity for Bingu wa Mutharika?