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In a dramatic turn of events, the UTM party, founded and led by the late President Saulos Clause Chilima, has announced its formal withdrawal from the Tonse Alliance, a political alliance comprising the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and several other stakeholders.
Chilima died in a tragic plane crash in Chikagawa on June 10, following which Michael Usi, the party’s vice chairman and Chilima’s running mate in the 2019 general election, assumed leadership of UTM in accordance with the party’s constitution.
In a bid to preserve the alliance, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, chairman of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP), then appointed Usi as the country’s new vice president, replacing the late Chilima.
However, the transition was not smooth. During Usi’s swearing-in ceremony, several UTM officials, apart from party patron Noel Masangwe and a few others, deliberately missed out and did not congratulate Usi.
Tensions within the party reached a boiling point today when the UTM executive committee, led by party secretary general Patricia Kaliati, held a press conference to announce the party’s withdrawal from the Tonse alliance.
Kaliati said the party would hold an executive meeting to discuss the decision, but another senior member of the UTM, Felix Njawala, preempted the party by announcing that it had quit the alliance.
The County Times has obtained inside information that two distinct factions have emerged in the UTM party, one aligned with the new party leader Michael Usi and the other dominated by disaffected and unsuccessful individuals like Njawala.
The growing tension within the UTM party following Chilima’s death undoubtedly presents a huge test for the party’s continued survival.
However, the situation remains fluid, with Michael Usi determined to assert his authority as the party’s guardian and dissident factions attempting to chart a new path for the UTM.
This unfolding story highlights the dynamic and evolving nature of Malawi’s political arena, where the delicate balance of power and alliances is constantly tested and re-examined.
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