Of the UDF and DPP working relation and the art of destroying political opponents from inside

By: Rev Dr Qeko                                                                                                   

The inclusion of a UDF member into Prof Arthur Peter Muthalikas cabinet after winning the 2014 Presidential elections was a surprise and a shock to many who keenly follow the dynamics of Malawi’s politics. The main question that has always been asked is, “ Does DPP need UDF to govern Malawi? What is the meaning of having Atupele in Cabinet when DPP according to some is so much capable of governing Malawi without any hand and any help from UDF or any other party? Does it mean DPP does not have the capacity to govern on their own?

In response to this, let me start by saying that it is true that the inclusion of Atupele in cabinet continue to shock many due to the fact that it was Atupele who spend some time within the JB cabinet and later left the PP government to take care of his UDF party. Now with this, those who support DPP seem to dislike this kind of marriage or arrangement to have a foreigner in cabinet when the party itself has the capacity to govern Malawi on its own.

All evidence are there to show that DPP can govern Malawi without being in any coalition with any party. DPP managed to get enough votes and seats in the house of parliament with which they would comfortably manage to govern. The question being asked is does inclusion of UDF member into DPP cabinet add any value? Many have said that this is just wasting time and does not add any value. Even some key UDF members agree that the best way for Atupele was for him to stay with his people and spend time building the party before the 2019 General elections.

Deep and deadly politics is being played with the inclusion of the UDF in the DPP administration where at the end of this we will see one of these two parties politically suffocating and failing to win the 2019 General election. One of the rules in politics is that the best way to destroy your political opponent is to bring them close to you. So in terms of the UDF and DPP which one has a strategy to destroy the other?

Robert Mugabe dismantled Tshangirai and his MDC party by making them part of government in the Unity Government. It was easy to destroy the MDC and Tshangirai because he was too close and hence on the way to his political deathpoint. So for DPP and UDF it all depends on who will be smarter than the other. Will it be UDF or the DPP?