In a surprising twist of events, opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ‘former’ spokesman Brown James Mpinganjira has asked former President of the Republic and DPP leader Peter Mutharika to “move on” after losing the 2020 presidential election re-run and support the current MCP government under President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for socio-economic development to take place in the country.
Mpinganjira, previously a fierce critic of the current regime, said this in an exclusive interview on Times Television hosted by Wonder Msiska on Saturday evening, June 26, 2021.
Rumours have it that Mpinganjira, who has been to almost all political parties as a senior member and formed his own National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the early 2000, has held secret talks with President Chakwera on the possibility of his joining the ruling party and that he is to be officially ‘received’ in the party soon once the President Chakwera visits Lomwe belt for development rally.
But the ‘former’ DPP spokesman was emphatic during the interview in his call for unity among all Malawians regardless of political party membership, tribe and region of origin.
“We are all Malawians and we must strive to put politics aside and concentrate on nation building. We must help the current (MCP) government fulfill campaign promises because if MCP succeeds, we all succeed. “I would like to specifically request the clergy to take a leading role in fostering unity and harmony among all Malawians. Let them encourage former Presidents (Bakili Muluzi, Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda) and former Vice Presidents (Cassim Chilumpha and Khumbo Kachali) to work together and help the current administration deliver on its pledges and commitments. If this ship sinks, we shall all sink, and not only MCP members and supporters.
“Governments change. There was UDF; there was DPP; there was PP; now there is MCP. Let’s accept these changes without any tribal and regional considerations,” said Mpinganjira.
Asked why the sudden change of heart when a few month ago, he and the DPP cried foul over the results of the presidential election re-run, Mpinganjira said it is merely natural to complain after a loss because everyone goes into a contest with confidence to win.
He said that is now water under the bridge and now the DPP and all Malawians must put the country first for socio-economic transformation to genuinely take place.
When asked why he should be urging unity among Malawians when in fact his own DPP is in turmoil over leadership succession, BJ, as he is popularly known in the political circles, claimed the problems of the country are more important than the problems a political party.
DPP conducted a post election autopsy which was led by seasoned lawyer, who is also DPP Vice President for the East region, Bright Msaka SC. The findings found out that the party has poor leadership, the party is arrogant, the party is corrupt and the party practices politics of nepotism above all the followers of the party have lost trust in the current leadership.
Thats what he thinks but the way mcp rises to power leaves a lot to be desired. In 1960s and 2019 all we witnessed and still backed by history were deadly violence which they attempted and failed in 2011. This leaves a lot of people wondering whether this is another side of democracy. On the polling day of june 23rd 2020 some people from the south in the centre went into hiding and they were praying for mcp to win for fear of their lives and property. I once voted for mcp in 1994 and 1999 but, the way they behaved made me lost interest in the voting processes. Who knows, may be this guy has been promised the vice presidency come 2025 and worse still he made his nonsensical revelations at mcp’s times. How can tonse lebel its bulling and torturing youth as heroes? This guy has very little influence in the lhomwe belt. Lhomwes are unique and they don’t just vote for some1 for merely being a lhomwe nor they fear bullies. Development which dpp made is all what attracts their votes. A malawi voice nkhani yoti dk wagwidwa simunailembe why??? Mkuluyu akafike bwino ndi adyera onse omwe amusatira.
Questionable report findings and this guy must stop drawing others’ attention to his wishful and childish thinking. He started well when he retired from politics to preachership and only to bounce back as a political opportunist. He thinks lhomwes are an easy target who can follow baseless things. They critic and make sound judgement. Even their own if its empty they ignore it. All they want is peace, love, harmony and action, action, action and action not blood thirsty vampires. This is why they loved and shall continue to love the big guns of mutharikas. Mutharikas sacumbed to jelous and nothing else. They are great people and hardworking class. They put a mark in self sponsored projects and self reliance. Is handling violent, bloody demos with love and peace arogant? Next time we need to cross check our voccabulary to justify our arguments. DPP is the only true democratic party which avoids unnecessary arrests on political grounds and never scared of polls. We witnessed sworn in foes becoming friends like pilate and herode becuase they all teamed up against peace,love and very smart guy.