Muluzi advocate Gwanda Chakuamba hits at Tembo

New Republican Party (NRP) president Gwanda
Chakuamba has accused his old-time rival John Tembo of refusing to
support Bakili Muluzi’s presidential bid after the MCP leader
reportedly agreed in 2006 to back the UDF chairman in his quest to
dislodge President Bingu wa Mutharika.
But MCP has said it cannot support Muluzi for another presidency because he already ruled the country for 10 years.
Chakuamba,
a full-time ally of the former president, told a rally in Lilongwe’s
Area 23 Township near Namachimba Market on Saturday that “MCP’s
selfishness will make it lose the elections next year”.
“MCP will
not win the 2009 general elections because of selfishness… Tembo cannot
win the elections by banking on votes from the Central Region. The
Central Region is for all Malawians with different political
affiliations,” said Chakuamba.
Flanked by his deputy Ken Zikhale
Ng’oma and Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) president Kamlepo Kalua,
Chakuamba claimed in 2006 Tembo pledged at a rally at Njamba Freedom
Park in Blantyre to dislodge  Mutharika “by supporting the one who put
him on the throne” (Muluzi).
Said Chakuamba: “This is what he promised but today he says he does not want to work with UDF.”
Chakuamba—who
resigned from MCP over a power struggle with Tembo five years ago,
announced his comeback in the parliamentary race—saying he will contest
against First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Esther Chilenje-Nkhoma whom
he anointed to run Nsanje North constituency in the 2004 elections.
Tembo
could not be reached on Sunday to comment on Chakuamba’s statements but
MCP’s administrative secretary Potipher Chidaya snubbed Chakuamba’a
call for Tembo to support Muluzi in an alliance.
“Muluzi has been a
president for this country for two terms, why should he lead the
alliance? Why can’t he allow us to field a presidential candidate? We
have so many MPs in Parliament. If he wants to join us, he can do so,”
said Chidaya.