DPP postpones campaign launch

By Rodney Muthipo

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party of incumbent Malawi President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika has postponed the campaign launch that was scheduled for the giant Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial city, Blantyre.

In a brief statement from the Presidential State House, spokesperson Chikumbutso Mtuumodzi said both the event in Blantyre and that of the eastern region in Mangochi on Wednesday have been postponed until further notice.

He said new dates for the campaign launches will be announced to the public.

According to senior DPP party officials, the launch has been postponed due to heavy rains that have been falling in Malawi in the last few days.

“As a caring leader, the State President did not want to subject his people to a heavy downpour that has not stopped since Friday,” said an official who pleaded for anonymity.

According to Malawi Digest's source within the DPP top brass, apart from the campaign launch, the event was also to unveil, new catches for the party that include veteran politician Gwanda Chakuamba and Ken Zikhale Ng'oma.

Unlike the wise decision taken by Dr Bingu wa Mutharika and the ruling DPP, former president Bakili Muluzi subjected thousands of his supporters to great suffering when he launched the opposition UDF campaign manifesto in Mangochi on Saturday.

Although Muluzi is not standing as presidential candidate in the May 19th polls, he went ahead to launch the manifesto without caring for the people in the heavy downpour.

President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika has been tipped by opinion polls to win the May elections for another term of office – Malawi Digest.