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| National |
| Chihana must resign’ |
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by Gedion Munthali, 01 August 2003
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11:41:36
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Deposed Aford secretary general Dan Msowoya who just last week was accepted back into the Aford fold after months of allegiance to pressure group Genuine Aford (Gaford) yesterday hit at Aford President Chakufwa Chihana, saying he must quit the party and join UDF.
Msowoya, who was taken back into Aford alongside other estranged members Chitipa Wenya MP Manifesto Kayira and Chitipa North MP Webster Kameme, was reacting to Chihana’s declaration that he will not contest presidential elections and instead Aford will support UDF candidate Bingu Mutharika.
“Chihana is not Aford. If he, as an individual, thinks he is not presidential material, he cannot restrict everyone by dragging the whole party to support a presidential candidate of another party. If he wants UDF he should go alone and leave the party behind. He does not own it,” said a clearly irritated Msowoya.
He also attacked “Chihana’s penchant for dragging the party into alliances unilaterally and not through the approval of the party’s convention”, saying “such are traits of arrogance and dictatorship, not in tandem with the current political order”.
“Why should we be following him everywhere he decides to go as if we are his tail?” lamented Msowoya. “What does he take us for, mental wrecks who can not chose our own political destiny?”
He called on all “well-meaning” members of the party to resist Chihana’s “political mischief and save the party from extinction”.
Aford president Chakufwa Chihana disclosed Monday he will not contest in next year’s presidential elections, saying the ruling party’s choice, Bingu Mutharika, will be a presidential candidate for both UDF and Aford.
Aford secretary general Wallace Chiume, who could not be reached yesterday to react on Msowoya’s stand, declined on Monday to shed more light on Chihana’s remarks.
When asked whether Aford and UDF have agreed to contest the elections together, UDF deputy publicity secretary Ken Lipenga said: “Not yet”.
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