People’s Party Flirting With an Existential Threat

By Nebert

News that the People’s Party is pulling out from the 2019 Presidential race is hardly surprising. With all the incessant talk of marketing herself throughout the pre-nomination period, it was quite clear Joyce Banda did not have the bottle to make a run for the State House this time around, and she probably knows that her chances were next to naught other than just being a spoil sport for other better placed candidates, and the fact that there were no other worthwhile candidates amongst the ranks compounded the issue.

Let’s get one thing clear, I admire JB, she built her political career from the very grassroots and she is a very fine example for our young ladies. It’s probably a shame that her high level well-travelled political career has ended at the note it has, a pure anticlimax; because contrary to popular opinion, she is one of the very few well-meaning politicians that this country has had, and she has done a lot on multiple fronts to ease the pity that our country folk live in. But again, it’s no shame bowing out having served in various ministerial positions, the climax of which was Foreign Affairs, and then went on to serve in the Presidency, both as VP and subsequently Head of State.

The problem is that after humiliation in the 2014 General Elections, and Joyce Banda’s self-imposed exile, the People’s Party failed to rebuild as a party. Despite the loss, there were some things to build on and capitalize on, but without their leader, the party disintegrated and went backwards, with JB only returning last year, a year to elections, which was a bit too late and relegated her party to nothingness in the scheme of things. The coming in of UTM also did not help matters.  

Despite all these travails, the Party was still positioned to be a sort of King maker at the elections, when they partnered with the UTM, having not worked out, the Party decided to go it alone, which was a mockery of JBs earlier position with regards to the alliance. But to the keenest of observers, it was clear that it was just a ruse. Amayi continued advertising her party to the highest bidder, and the news filtering in is that they are close to a working relationship with MCP (I do not want to call it an alliance) has confirmed that.

The problem here is that PP as a Party has everything to lose if that’s the situation. First and foremost, as a major party, it’s very important that you participate in every election and field candidates at every opportunity, irrespective of the outcome, this is good as it consolidates the party’s position with electorate in the long term. The moment your party colors miss out on the ballot, you run the risk of losing credibility and subsequent disappearing into relative obscurity as other parties splinter and eventually overtake you in the pecking order, see UDF.

The PP should reconsider its position and contest in the elections. Irrespective of the outcome, they can leverage JBs influence and rebuild the party in time for the 2024 polls whilst in the meantime holding a sway of relevance in matters that affect the country. Not participating means the party loses credibility, this will hit harder the MPs the party has worked so hard to field and fund, thus major losses in the Parliamentary election means the party will be at the cusp of obsolescence.

Aside from this, this point is not the best time to forge alliances, with candidates set in stone, it means whatever agreement the PP has with MCP can easily be reneged upon in the event of a successful election. If MCP were to win in an arrangement with PP, I doubt the MCP would hold the alliance as a partnership of equals more than a marriage of convenience which will be obsolete by then.

MCP on the other hand has all to gain and nothing to lose here. First of all, PP has vast economic resources that the MCP can use for their campaign, furthermore, even though underrated, JB holds a certain sway over some parts of the Northern Region that the MCP can greatly appreciate.

However, back to the original thesis, the PP can ill afford to go into this election without a Presidential candidate, because whatever alliances they are planning on are ill fated and not for their benefit. If they do, then it is the end of the party as we know it. We could be looking at a mass exodus of members come June this year. This is so because the Party is jeopardizing is Parliamentary candidates’ chances of success, further, it is jeopardizing its relevance and influence and subsequently its existence as a major party. At the rate its going it will go down the route of AFORD or worse still disappear into the doldrums.

Av.