By Chalo Mvula
The opposition Malawi Congress Party National executive has passed a resolution which opens the door for possible electoral alliance with United Transformation Party (UTM)
In a statement by the party’s publicity secretary Rev Maurice Munthali, that national executive met on Friday evening and in Pursuant to Article 3(12) of the Constitution of Malawi Congress Party on the need to work with other political parties with which MCP shares “a common vision”, they agreed to give the President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, full powers to enter negotiations with his UTM counterpart on the prospect of an alliance between the two parties.
This decision mirrors the step taken by UTM who a few days ago elected a working committer to work on possibility of electoral alliance with MCP. UTM leader Dr Saulos Chilima is on record having said he is open to working with other parties as long as it is good for Malawi.
MCP has previously used the same part of Constitutional to enter into alliances with Joyce Banda’s Peoples Party and Khumbo Kachali’s Freedom Party.
In giving further information, Munthali said “The resolution also gives the President full powers to constitute a qualified team to support his pursuit of an alliance through negotiations with the UTM team designated for that purpose. By implication, the President has been given the mandate to ascertain such terms of an alliance agreement as will be most beneficial for Malawi and its people”
Since the Constitutional court ordered fresh elections, political parties have been busy repositioning themselves. The need for 50 plus 1 for the winner has seen the ruling Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) enter into an alliance with United Democratic Front (UDF)
On why Malawi Congress Party has opted for this decision, Mauric Munthali said “The MCP NEC believes that empowering the party President with this mission is the best way to harness the national gains that both parties have cultivated together with all patriotic Malawians over the last eight months in which the whole nation fixed its gaze on the Constitutional Court where the MCP and UTM presidents were both petitioners. Knowing that the court case was a fight for justice and the political rights of every voter aggrieved by MEC’s mismanagement of the 2019 presidential election, the MCP NEC is confident that the negotiations with UTM will be conducted in good faith and bear fruit to help galvanize the majority of the electorate towards victory and lasting change in the fresh elections scheduled for Tuesday, 19th May 2020”.
It is said that the National executive resolution conforms to the Malawi Congress Party’s well-established value of contact and dialogue, its inimitable sensitivity to the aspirations of Malawians, and its quest for A New Malawi.
 In a statement by the party’s publicity secretary Rev Maurice Munthali,…){kind=link}