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Why APM, AAM are Heading into Different Directions

As Winston Mwale writes, these two look at the fresh presidential elections differently: one as an opportunity, the other as a bad omen!

Well, here's an irony: President Peter Mutharika anointed Atupele Muluzi as his running mate in the fresh presidential elections in Malawi, yet these two have two divergent views on the polls.

Take a read!

From the word go, only Atupele has shown GENUINE interest in the polls. See his energy! The zeal!

The young Muluzi has literally poured everything into the presidential polls. Actually, it's just like his whole life hangs on the polls.

On the other hand, APM has shown no interest in the polls. If anything, the mere mention of the words " fresh presidential elections" are an anathema to him. He doesn't want to hear those “dreadful” words, literally.

But why this seemingly different approach to the matter?

Take a read!

On his part, Atupele sees the polls as a golden opportunity to the VP office. Surely, who doesn't want to occupy that office in their lifetime, with the open and hidden opportunities that accompany it. It's everyone's dream.

Let's not deny it. Given an opportunity, we would all want to be VPs and command all the respect that goes with the office.

Secondly, the young Muluzi sees this as an opportunity to rebuild his party, UDF. Here's a party that was on deathbed a few months ago. Now life has been restored to the party that was almost going into oblivion. So, Atupele knows that, once in government, he will use all his energy and, of course, government resources to rebuild the party.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's why the young Muluzi is out and about campaigning. This is manna for him. After all, if the DPP-UDF alliance wins, he will be the de facto President. By the way, the young Muluzi is not short-sighted: he's also looking at the future elections, not just these fresh presidential elections. He's visionary!

Turning to APM, the day the decision by the ConCourt was made on 3 February, 2020, it hit him like a sledgehammer. He has not recovered...he won't recover from the trauma of the landmark ruling.

Listen!

Anyone in his position would feel the same. Let's not lie here. Who, tell me, if you can, can take or treat the ruling like some announcement at kindergarten? That was and still is BIG issue. Some of you would actually be having sleepless nights if you were in his position.

Imagine being told that your win was not a win after all. Actually, polls didn't take place. Would you sleep soundly?

So, to APM, the fresh polls are nothing but another slap on his face.

But why?

Well, probably he feels without Jane Ansah at the helm of MEC, his party can't perform, even with the support of UDF. APM is a realist: saying he will not be out and about campaigning because of coronavirus is a scapegoat.

He simply doesn't want to go to the polls..AGAIN!

OK, let's be honest good people: how many of you would want to go for fresh polls if you were in his shoes?

Some of you would even declare a State of Emergency just to frustrate and cancel the polls. Let's just be realists like APM.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how I see things.

This is why you'll be seeing Atupele campaigning and APM locked up at state house.

These two look at the fresh presidential elections differently: one as an opportunity, the other as a bad omen!