Two years after announcing his departure from active politics and subsequently relinquishing the United Democratic Front (UDF) presidency, former president Bakili Muluzi’s son, Atupele, has expressed interest to vie for the post.
On the other hand, UDF interim president Lilian Patel has said she will not contest for any position at the party’s convention slated for August 3 2024 ahead of the September 16 2024 General Elections.
UDF spokesperson Yusuf Mwawa in an interview last week said Atupele is among the UDF members who have already collected nomination forms.
But he refused to disclose names of the other hopefuls, saying the party will give more information during a media briefing in Blantyre on a date to be set.
Said Mwawa: “The nominations were opened last month [June] and will be closed on 17th of July before the convention on August 3. Honourable Atupele Muluzi will stand for the presidency.
“Our constitution is open-ended and does not give a time period for one to hold a particular position in the party.”
Atupele could not be drawn to comment on the development as he did not respond to The Nation phone calls.
Patel, on the other hand, in an interview on Thursday said she will not contest for any position in the party as she would like to focus her energy on retaining her Mangochi South parliamentary seat.
She said she has served UDF in various positions since 1993 and felt it is time to give others a chance to run the affairs.
“But if the party wishes to give me something honorary, that is okay. Otherwise, I am not contesting. But I am available for any advice or any service they [UDF] want from me,” said Patel.
Commenting on the matter, political analysts Chimwemwe Kandodo, Nandin Patel and Victor Chipofya, a lecturer at Blantyre International University noted that Atupele has the right to contest for the UDF presidency.
However, they observed that his return has both positive and negative sides.
Said Kandodo, a lecturer at Catholic University of Malawi: “Sometimes it can bring confusion because for the past two years, he hasn’t been around as UDF president and Madam Patel was acting as the president.
“So, together with her team, maybe she had put in place other strategies in order to win in the next year’s general elections, and now that Atupele wants to come back won’t it disturb the strategy?”
On her part, Nandin Patel, a member of Political Science Association, said Atupele has the quality and capabilities of a leader, but needed to prove his consistency.
“Let’s hope that there will be competition for the president at the convention,” she said.
Atupele has led UDF in two presidential elections, first in 2024 and in the nullified 2019 vote. In the June 23 2020 court-sanctioned fresh presidential election , he featured as running mate to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president Peter Mutharika. However, the pair lost to a combination of incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party who had teamed up with former UTM Party president and the country’s vice-president Saulos Chilima.
In his resignation letter to UDF secretary general Kandi Padambo dated May 28 2022, Atupele said he was “going into business for the development and progress of Malawi”.
Reads the letter in part: “In view of this decision and pursuant with the party constitution, I appoint Patel, party vice-president Eastern Region, to lead the party as acting president until the next national convention where my successor will be elected.”
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