Mutharika's nemesis Vice-President Saulos Chilima may also turn out to be a casualty of Banda's move which followed intensive talks with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera (AC Vol 59 No 24 Mutharika's uphill battle)...
Current Vice-President Saulos Chilima who dramatically accused his boss of corruption has filed papers to stand as presidential candidate for the United Transformation Movement (UTM) which he founded after leaving Mutharika's DPP in June last year...
Banda is keeping her options open and has already met Vice-President Saulos Chilima Mutharika's deputy who denounced him for corruption in May...
With elections slated for 21 May 2019 Mutharika is facing a challenge from his former deputy Saulos Chilima who left the governing DPP last month accusing it of corruption (AC Vol 58 No 20 Mutharika's uncertain future)...
An opposition alliance task force has been formed and is targeting Khumbo Kachali Banda's Vice-President who has formed his own Freedom Party and is exploring the possibility of pairing up with the current Vice-President Saulos Chilima should Mutharika dump him from the ticket...
Mutharika's age suggests that he may not stand for a second term so the public gaze has already fallen on Vice-President Saulos Klausi Chilima...
Instead they are focusing on the parliamentary elections because they are bitter about their leader's choice of Saulos Klausi Chilima as his running mate instead of a prominent figure such as DPP Vice-President Hetherwick Ntaba or Secretary General Jean Kalirani...