One of the main partners in the Tonse Alliance government, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has nominated President Lazarus Chakwera as a potential running mate for the block’s torchbearer in the 2025 Presidential election.
If the agreement between MCP and Tonse Alliance partner UTM holds, Chakwera is likely to be Vice President Saulos Chilima’s running mate next year. MCP finalized Chakwera as their candidate for the 2025 elections during their Central Executive Committee meeting in Lilongwe on Monday.
The party’s publicity secretary, Peter Ezekiel Ching’oma, suggested that Chakwera’s nomination does not necessarily mean the party will go solo in the upcoming elections.
This implies that if MCP continues to collaborate with UTM, the 2020 agreement they signed will still govern the relationship.
The agreement, valid for 10 years from 2020, stipulates that Chilima will be the torchbearer for the 2025 elections after Chakwera’s initial five-year representation.
The agreement specifies that Chakwera would serve the first five years, with Chilima taking over for the second term of the Alliance rule.
During a 2020 campaign rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre, Chilima informed a large crowd that they had agreed on Chakwera going first, with him being the torchbearer after five years.
Chakwera has consistently accused unspecified politicians of attempting to cause division between him and the Vice President, vowing not to let them succeed.
“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.
During a recent development rally in Lilongwe, Chakwera emphasized his commitment to ‘honest’ politics, stating that he always keeps his promises. According to the Tonse Alliance document, the relationship will be reassessed after 10 years.
