One of the main partners in the Tonse Alliance government, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has nominated President Lazarus Chakwera as running mate to the Alliance’s torchbearer for the 2025 General elections Vice President Saulos Chilima.
MCP held their Central Executive Committee meeting in Lilongwe on Monday where they settled for Chakwera as their candidate for 2025 elections.
However, the Tonse Alliance agreement which is valid for 10 years from 2020 provides that Chilima will be its torch bearer for the 2025 elections after giving Chakwera a chance to represent it for the first five years of the pact.
Contents of the agreement indicate that Chakwera was to go for the first five years while Chilima will stand for the second term of the Alliance rule.
During a 2020 campaign public rally Chilima told a huge crowd at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre that they have agreed that Chakwera should go first and that he would be the torchbearer after five years.
Chakwera has always blamed other unnamed politicians for ‘trying to come between me and the Vice President’ and vowed not to allow these politicians to succeed.
Recently during a development rally in Lilongwe Chakwera said he will practise ‘honest’ politics because he always honour his word.
“Ndikudziwa kuti ndale za ku Malawi zimakhala zosungilana ka mpeni kuphasa koma ine simpanga nawo chifukwa sindinapangepo zimenezi ndipo sindipanga” (I know Malawians practise politics of trickery but I don’t do this and will never do this),” said Chakwera.
According to the Tonse Alliance document the relationship will be reviewed after 10 years.
Chakwera and Chilima were brought together by various people including the clergy to ask them to run the 2020 elections together in order to acquire the 50 plus one percent of the national vote to oust former President Peter Mutharika.
