Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopeful Dalitso Kabambe has jumped ship with barely a month to the party’s elective convention amid speculation he is poised to join Tonse Alliance breakaway UTM Party.
But in a statement issued on Monday, the former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) governor did not cite any reasons behind the decision, only stating that he made the decision after “much reflection and consideration”.
Kabambe also said he has already informed DPP leader and the country’s former president Peter Mutharika about his resignation effective July 14 2024.
And in an interview following the statement, he was still tight-lipped on reports linking him to UTM Party founded by fallen vice-president Saulos Chilima who died in a military plane crash along with eight others in Mzimba on June 10 2024.
Said Kabambe: “I am doing an introspection and once I have decided on my next course of action, I will advise.”
DPP and Mutharika’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said the former governing party had no comment on Kabambe’s move.
Kabambe, an economist, joined DPP and became active in politics in 2020 after the Tonse Alliance administration, which had just booted DPP from power through the court-sanctioned fresh presidential election on June 23 2020, removed him as the central bank chief.
He was among hopefuls for DPP presidency after Mutharika declared he would not continue to lead the party.
However, a wave in the party’s National Governing Council that is positioning Mutharika to be the torchbearer in next year’s polls saw his chances diminish, according to political analyst Chimwemwe Tsitsi.
The Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences lecturer believes Mutharika’s public declaration that he would contest might have put off Kabambe.
The DPP president announced he would be DPP’s torchbearer during the Mulhako wa Alhomwe cultural ceremony in October last year.
Tsitsi said he suspected Kabambe was planning to join another political party to pursue his ambitions of becoming the country’s President.
“Considering that most parties are going towards their respective conventions, we may as well speculate that he wants to join another political party or form his own,” he said.
From Sunday afternoon, social media reports linked Kabambe with a move to UTM Party, but the party’s spokesperson Felix Njawala, when asked if Kabambe had approached them, only said: “Let me find out.”
On Sunday afternoon, Kabambe attended a candlelight memorial for Chilima at Zingwangwa Youth Centre in Blantyre and shared the podium with Njawala, UTM Party director of youth Penjani Kalua, Blantyre City South legislator Noel Lipipa and others. He was also given a platform to speak and said Chilima inspired the youth.
In a separate interview, University of Malawi lecturer and expert in legislative and electoral politics Gift Sambo said Kabambe’s move could also be a result of a power vacuum in the UTM Party.
He said: “Chances of Kabambe emerging at the top in DPP were minimal and the best is to go where there is leadership vacuum such as in the UTM Party.
“Kabambe may not be a giant politically, but has the moral stamina to make believable promises, has integrity and is well-educated. He is a new broom on the political scene and can fit well in the UTM philosophy.”
On his part, Political Science Association of Malawi spokesperson Mavuto Bamusi cautioned the DPP that it may lose critical numbers that are key to the party.
He said: “As the 2025 elections approach, the DPP should be attracting people to join the party not losing them. Winning an election is about numbers.”
Kabambe, alongside businessperson Paul Gadama, Chiradzulu South lawmaker Joseph Mwanamvekha, Eastern Region vice- president Bright Msaka, Prophet David Mbewe and fired DPP vice-president responsible for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa, had expressed interest to vie for the DPP presidency.
Nankhumwa was expelled from the party and has since formed the People’s Development Party while Mbewe registered his own party, Liberation for Economic Freedom Party.
On the other hand, Msaka has been silent on his candidature while Mwanamvekha withdrew from the race after Mutharika expressed interest to contest at the August convention and vowed to lead the party in the 2025 General Elections.
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