BY LYSON SIBANDE
When Bakili Muluzi won the 1994 democratic elections, UDF didn’t get majority seats in Parliament to properly pass bills and run government. UDF needed a coalition partner to grease the wheels of Parliament for favorable outcomes in the legislature.
After briefly courting MCP, Chakufwa Chihana finally agreed to partner his AFORD with UDF. After all, AFORD had completely won all seats in the North. So they had the required numbers to give UDF the required majority in Parliament.
Muluzi was a political engineer. He amended the constitution and created the office of second vice president for Chihana and also gave some ministerial positions to AFORD officials. Actually, when forming his first cabinet, Muluzi had deliberately left certain ministerail positions open for coalition partners.
But just after a while, Chihana was not happy with how Muluzi was running government and decided to resign from the Presidency and pull AFORD out of the coalition government. Yes, Chihana was very bold. He resigned as the state second vice president and pulled AFORD out.
But interestingly, when AFORD pulled out, the top officials whom Muluzi had rewarded with ministerial positions including powerful and brilliant politicians like Dr Mapopa Chipeta, Melvin Moyo, Khwauli Msika, etc..didn’t leave government. They could not sacrifice ministerial positions for loyalty to their party and leader. They betrayed AFORD and Chihana to keep ministerial positions.
Of course, this was the start of the weakening of AFORD. Chihana seems not to have seen it coming. While he was ready to leave government position for political principles and loyalty to the cause of his party, his comrades were not ready and willing.
History is repeating itself today with UTM as it pulls out of the coalition government. The party will be divided just like AFORD went through because those enjoying positions in government never choose to with their party. They remain to serve personal interests. THATS POLITCS. UTM needs to plan well how to survive such betrayal because it weakens the party further.
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