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| National |
| Coalition signed without MCP, NDA, Mgode |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda, 23 January 2004
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16:39:06
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National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the Movement for Genuine Democratic Party (Mgode) on Friday did not participate in the signing ceremony of the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) for the Mgwirizano Coalition between the country’s opposition parties which took place in Blantyre.
The ceremony, led by chair of the talks Bishop James Tengatenga, did not highlight the contents of the MOU but Petra’s president Kamuzu Chibambo said in a later interview the six parties; Petra, PPM, Republican, MDP, NUP and Mafunde adopted principles guiding the coalition, election obligations and post-election obligations which include fielding one presidential candidate and one candidate in each constituency as a member of Parliament.
Chibambo said the parties have also signed to have one white flag with a symbol of a lit candle and one slogan Mgwirizano wachilungamo (unity of justice)”.
“We’ve also signed to have a body comprising all parties to be in charge of elections and to have several sub committees to be in charge of legal issues, monitors and financial issues,” said Chibambo.
He said the post-election obligations will deal with the formation of a cabinet.
“We have committed ourselves to a calendar of events which, among other issues, says that we should have a presidential candidate by the end of two weeks,” said Chibambo.
Three people from each party signed the MOU.
However NDA refused to sign the MOU citing infiltration, the choosing of cabinet and the presidency as unfinished business while MCP said it wanted to go back for further consultations with the grassroots on the contents of the MOU which needed further scrutiny before appending their signatures.
NDA, which called an emergency news conference hours before the ceremony, said they failed to convince the main facilitator of the coalition Bishop James Tengatenga and the other parties to postpone the ceremony during an early morning meeting.
Vice President for NDA Viva Nyimba defended his party’s position, saying that they are convinced that other small parties who do not have structures at the grassroots level are “merely using the coalition to ride on the backs of the established parties to get into power”.
NDA organising secretary Peter Chupa said his party was sure that the coalition talks have been infiltrated by spies from the ruling UDF and that there is no confidentiality.
“You’ve all heard [president] Bakili Muluzi bragging that he is right inside the coalition talks. How can we be sure of the people we’re dealing with. We know who these spies are,” said Chupa.
Tengatenga later read NDA’s letter to the delegates gathered at the ceremony which said: “We are suspicious of political undercurrents in the coalition discussions, particularly in the emerging proposals and procedures for electing a presidential candidate and running mate.”
“Secondly the draft MOU is not clear whether we’re entering into a merger or an electoral alliance...in view of the foregoing we feel the process will not take Malawi political realities into account and as a result we may lose a God-given opportunity to win this general election,” stated the letter.
It also indicated that the NDA will continue with interparty lobbying, negotiations and bargaining to come up with an arrangement agreeable to all “sister political parties”.
Tengatenga, who said the ceremony could not be postponed because the letter came too late, admitted that the talks had really been infiltrated.
“The issue that we have been infiltrated with UDF spies can not be ruled out because we heard the President himself talking about this but that is not reason enough for the NDA not to sign the MOU,” he said.
MCP who still managed to send their secretary general Kate Kainja to the ceremony, said that they needed more time to go to their party structure to table the coalition with them.
“MCP also regrets at the manner in which the final draft has been arrived at. Some people, chose to meet on their own, agreed on the version and gave the rest 24 hours or so for them to communicate comments not later than 8 PM on the following day,” stated the letter.
It said critical issues such as who leads the coalition must be resolved by consensus as they are issues of integrity.
“We should not be seen as being partisan, instead we should objectively put the cards on the table and together chart a winning formula,” says the letter.
On the other hand, Mgode said they will sign the MOU belatedly through a faxed letter by its steering committee Du Mhango who said he could not come because he had a problem with his car.
Apart from Chibambo, the presidents present at the ceremony included Aleke Banda, Gwanda Chakuamba, Kamlepo Kalua and Harry Chiume.
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