|
Two United Democratic Front (UDF) senior officials have said President Bakili Muluzi will be compelled to choose his successor should the bid to change constitution and allow him to seek a third term fall through.
Regional Governor for the South Davis Kapito said on Wednesday Muluzi would not just leave the party in suspense but indicate who his successor would be.
“As president of the party he will have to guide the party in finding an alternative candidate. But, anyway, since the debate began on the third term, he has never indicated whether or not he is to stand,” Kapito said.
Deputy Secretary General Paul Maulidi said in a separate Muluzi would identify his likely successor in the event that he does not stand for a third term of office.
“He has to guide us, being our leader. He may choose three or four possible candidates who would be referred to the annual convention in April. Democratic principles of electing a leader will be exercised,” he said.
But UDF Central Region Governor Uladi Mussa, said the party’s national executive committee would decide what steps to follow to decide Muluzi’s successor should the President declare that he will not stand in next year’s elections.
“That’s the decision of the national executive, the top brass of the party,” he said.
Mussa said, on the other hand, Muluzi himself is not for the third term.
“That’s why he was accusing those who are talking about the third term for portraying a picture that he [Muluzi] is the one demanding it. He is not for that,” Mussa said.
He said Muluzi only wants to serve the people of Malawi although he gets nothing from the presidency itself.
“What he gets from his business is much bigger than what he gets from being president. But it’s we the people of Malawi and especially those of us who are his supporters who want him to continue leading this country,” Mussa said.
He blamed the third term bill’s failure in Parliament on the Constitution which he said has a lot of anomalies.
“I wonder why we have to refer the issue to Parliament when it is the people who gave the president the mandate to rule this country. The question should have been referred to the people themselves and not Parliament,” he said.
Regional Governor for the North, Wyson Mkochi said he would make a statement on the issue after the regional committee meeting next week.
|
