By Kondwani Magombo, MANA
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri, says as long as he is Director of Elections in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the party’s alliance with the United Democratic Front (UDF) will never lose an election.
The minister said this on Tuesday in Mangochi on the sidelines of the crowning of Traditional Authority Bwananyambi at her Ndumundu Headquarters to replace her grandmother who died serving as TA Bwananyambi on September 30, 2019.
Phiri who conducted the crowning activity clad in a grey jacked, striped long sleeved shirt and blue trousers, surprised the crowd when he deserted his seat for a while and returned in a long blue button-less shirt with UDF branded yellow patches on the front.
The ministers’ dramatic return in political party outfit signaled a switch from his accomplished ministerial task to another of a politician.
Phiri hailed the DPP-UDF alliance and described it as a winning team, adding that the alliance would sweep all the votes from Mangochi if there will be a fresh election in May.
“Mangochi has way over 600,000 eligible voters and we want to leave no vote to anybody: as long as I am the elections director in the DPP, there’s no way we can lose the election,” said Phiri.
He said the alliance of the DPP and UDF was not a strange occurrence and he likened it to reconciliation of a couple that had separated.
The DPP elections director urged all the chiefs in the district and the eastern region to rally behind the alliance and give it all the support it requires.
Earlier, Mangochi South Member of Parliament, Lillian Patel, also said the alliance that the two parties formed presents a solid block in eastern region that no any party can penetrate.
Patel urged all the DPP and UDF supporters to work together as one people of one common political and developmental interest.
“Let us work together: whether you are DPP or UDF; I’m your MP and the two parties are in an alliance which needs all of us to support,” said Patel.
Yao Paramount Chief Kawinga assured the minister that the chiefs had welcomed the alliance and that they would work together with the government of the day as required of them.
However, the Paramount chief requested President Prof. Peter Mutharika, through the minister, to find time to meet the chiefs and brief them on the alliance.
“May I humbly ask you, Hon. Minister to take the message to the president that we, chiefs, TAs, Sub TAs and GVHs are ready to meet the President on the alliance so that we should all move with one pace,” said Kawinga.
