Africa-Press – Malawi. Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president Enoch Chihana has said he will not allow donors to dictate the government if his party takes over leadership of the country next year.
Chihana said this Friday when he opened the party’s convention where he went unopposed as president for the party.
“Donors attach conditions to their aid. And some of the conditions are not helpful to our people in the village. We will not allow that,” Chihana said.
He said donor aid has not helped to take the country out of poverty.
“As a country, we cannot continue surviving through begging after 60 years of Independence,” Chihana said.
The Aford leader also apologised to Malawians for joining the Tonse Alliance government which he said gave flowery promises but failed to deliver them.
He said: “Mundikhulurukire, mphuno salota. Sitinkadziwa kuti tikulowa mu mgwirizano ndi mikango. Komabe zakale zapita, tiyeni tiyang’ane chitsogolo.”
[Forgive me. I didn’t know that I was joining forces with lions. But let us forget the past and move on.]
He said the opposition parties have geared up to remove the current government because it has failed Malawians.
He cited the K15.1 trillion debt which the country has as a disgrace.
Some of the opposition parties that graced the convention include the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), UTM, United Democratic Front (UDF), People’s Party (PP) and Freedom Party (FP) among others.
DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhito said his party attended the convention to show solidarity.
He said the opposition parties had a similar agenda to develop the country which he said has failed with the current government.
UTM patron Newton Kambala echoed Mukhito’s sentiments. He said it is high time that the opposition joined forces to oust the current regime during next year’s elections as it has failed.
On the presence of representatives of other parties at the convention, Executive Director for Church and Society of the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Reverend Master Jumbe commended the opposition parties for showing solidarity.
But he warned them to make realistic alliance agreement if they are taking that path.
“They need to make an open alliance agreement which is known to the public,” he said.
He added that it was unfortunate that many parties pulled out of the Tonse Alliance because they felt cheated.
So far, parties that have conducted conventions include Malawi Congress Party, DPP, PP and Aford. As we went to press last evening, People’s Development Party was also holding its convention in Blantyre.
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