Faced with some pockets of resistance, Vice-President Michael Usi says he is the bonafide UTM Party president following the death of his predecessor Saulos Chilima in a military plane crash on June 10.
His public declaration comes after the party’s hierarchy, led by secretary general Patricia Kaliati, earlier announced the withdrawal of UTM Party from the governing Tonse Alliance whose pact President Lazarus Chakwera and Chilima publicly signed on March 20 2020.
Speaking when he visited his home village Golden in Traditional Authority Chikumbu in Mulanje on Sunday afternoon, Usi said following Chilima’s death he automatically ascended to the party’s highest position.
He said he will soon meet Kaliati to discuss the dates to call for the national executive committee (NEC) meeting.
Said Usi: “Let me say this, some are saying I am the acting president of UTM, no. I am the president of UTM and that’s what the constitution says.
“I am not going to fight anybody. So, I have to meet the secretary general to come up with the agenda as she is the one who needs to communicate [on the NEC meeting].”
He said he had noted that there were some UTM Party members who are not happy with his position, but he will not fight back.
“What I am saying to all UTM Party members who are castigating me and are not happy with me is that I just ask God to forgive them,” said Usi.
Article 13 (3) of the UTM Party states that “the vice-president shall assist the president and shall, in the case of delegation by, or absence, resignation, incapacity or death of, the president, exercise the powers and functions conferred on the president by this constitution.”
The Article 13 (4) further provides that “in the event of resignation, incapacity or death of the president and the vice-president, the national executive committee shall, as soon as it is practicable, but no later than ninety days from the event, appoint an acting president until such time as the National Delegates Conference shall convene and until such appointment is made.”
But when contacted yesterday on Usi’s sentiments, Kaliati said it was difficult for her to comment because she was just hearing about the position from The Nation.
She said: “When SKC [Saulos Klaus Chilima] was alive, I was not communicated to through the media. Therefore, the official response will be a problem. If he [Usi] decides to say that to the media, it will be difficult for me to respond.”
Commenting on the development, political analyst Ernest Thindwa observed that Usi’s declaration and Kaliati’s response indicated divisions in UTM.
He noted that the absence of the party’s top hierarchy during Usi’s swearing-in ceremony as Vice-President in Lilongwe on June 21 corroborates his observation.
Said Thindwa: “That is the indication that there is disunity in the UTM, but this is very unfortunate. This party needed to demonstrate that it is united in the absence of Dr. Chilima. But this is an indication that the party is slowly dying after the former vice president’s death.”
Chakwera appointed Usi as the country’s Vice-President, replacing Chilima who was also the UTM Party founding president.
Chilima alongside eight others died in a military plane crash on June10.
In the nullified 2019 presidential election, Chilima had picked Usi as his running mate, effectively becoming the party’s vice-president as per constitution.
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