Uncertainties surround the future of the relationship between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the New Republican Party (NRP) as while it is clear that UDF chairman Bakili Muluzi would be the alliance’s torch bearer in this year’s polls, NRP leader Gwanda Chakuamba is still in the dark on what stakes he has in the alliance.
The development, according to sources from both UDF and NRP has raised tension between the two key players in the alliance which has seen Chakuamba recently not being committed to participate in some of UDF activities.
However, in an interview Chakuamba while acknowledging that the two sides have not yet agreed on his position in the alliance was quick to point out that it was his bail conditions which have led him not to be attending UDF activities and rallies.
“We have not yet discussed anything but there are still some consultations going on,” Chakuamba said when asked what agreement has been made on his position in the alliance.
He dismissed the assertions that he has been boycotting UDF functions because the UDF has not been clear on his future position in the alliance saying recently he has not been able to attend such functions because of his bail conditions which bar him from holding a political rally.
“My bail condition number one and five only allows me to move from home to the office and back and if I want to go outside those areas then I have to seek police permission. My lawyer has made an application to lift that,” he said.
Asked whether he expects the UDF to make him running mate to Muluzi and what will happen if that would turn out not to be the case Chakuamba just said: “I don’t know but there are some consultations still going on.”
The NRP has not been present in all the four major functions which Muluzi had since his return from the UK a month ago.
Chakuamba did not welcome Muluzi on his arrival from the UK, did not attend late Mary Kamphwereza Banda’s burial which the UDF chairman attended in Lilongwe and also was absent at Muluzi’s two rallies in Zomba and Nyambadwe in Blantyre and in all these functions has cited the bail conditions as a problem.
UDF alliance spokesperson Humphrey Mvula while also acknowledged that the position of Chakuamba was not yet clear also said the NRP leader’s recent actions have nothing to do with Chakuamba being discontent with some aspects of the alliance.
“From what I hear (from his lawyers) it is all to do with his bail conditions. I hear that he is supposed not to hold any political rally as part of the bail condition. With that I would personally not encourage him to attend political rallies because at times politicians can become overzealous during such gatherings,” he said.
However, the bail conditions sourced from the Nkhotakota Magistrate Court, which granted Chakuamba the bail, do not talk about the NRP addressing any rally.
The first and second condition talks and K50,000 bail bond not cash for the accused and K20,000 bail bond not cash for two sureties while condition number three requires him to surrender his passport and all travel documents to police.
The last two conditions requires him to be reporting to police twice a week on Fridays and Tuesdays and that he should not leave his office or home without the authority of police.
Mvula said he has not seen the bail conditions himself and will only understand the situation after reading the conditions.
However, he said at the moment the issues to do with the alliance are being looked at from two levels-an alliance working committee comprising party officials and at leadership level involving all leaders of the parties in the alliance.
“Some of those issues are handled at the leadership forum and issues relate to leaders is information privy only to the leadership of the parties I would not know what is being discussed,” he said.
Mvula, however, explained that all alliance members are working based on a clear agreement which he said has some of the elements derived from the agreement drawn when Chakuamba was first drafted into government before President Bingu wa Mutharika broke away from the UDF.
“As far as we are concerned there is no problem. If Chakuamba wanted to stand on his own I don’t think he could have wasted all his time advancing a UDF agenda and propagating Muluzi’s come back,” he added.
UDF and NRP first had a clash over fielding of parliamentary candidates after the UDF insisted that it will field some candidates in the NRP stronghold of the lower Shire especially where it feels its candidates are strong.
However, sources from both the UDF and the NRP said recently Chakuamba and his officials have been pressurising the UDF to make its position clear on the position of their leader in the alliance. Chakuamba is seen as the main key figure in the alliance from outside the UDF.
“The problem is that even Muluzi himself has never confided in his colleague what position Chakuamba will have. That delay is making us suspicious because at the end of the day if UDF decides to do things to their own interest it will be too late for us as NRP,” said one of the sources from the NRP.
The source said the NRP expects nothing less than a running mate for Chakuamba.
A senior official in the UDF said Chakuamba’s absence during Muluzi function was a sign of boycott and not the bail conditions as he was putting it because he said before he started boycotting UDF activities he raised the issue but the UDF told him that it was not yet time to make any declaration since the party was still courting some more players into the alliance.
“Our feeling as a party is that if we make any declaration on our alliance partners it means we are shutting the door for other potential partners who would want to join us because then they will have nothing to bargain on,” said the source.
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First blog I read after wakeup from sleep today!
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Are you tension? panic?