Malawi’s former president Joyce Banda on Monday signed an electoral pact with the country’s largest opposition party days after she pulled out of elections due in May.
Banda, 68, is throwing her support behind the Malawi Congress Party’s Lazarus Chakwera.
“We seek that which shall uplift Malawi from the economic doldrums and quagmire,” Banda, flanked by Chakwera, told a news conference
This is Banda’s second political alliance in just two months.
Six weeks ago, Banda and Vice President Saulos Chilima said they had formed a four-party alliance to take on President Peter Mutharika.
But that was short-lived with Banda announcing just days later that she would run for president under her own People’s Party.
Analysts questioned the credibility of the People’s Party as a partner.
“Are they reliable that they will stick (with) the relationship,” asked University of Malawi political scientist Henry Chingaipe.
Banda garnered just over one million votes in the last election in 2014, which could be enough to tip the scales in Chakwera’s favour if all her supporters move with her.
Chakwera scored just under 1.5 million votes in 2014 when Mutharika won with 1.9 million.
Then vice-president Banda came to power in April 2012 following the sudden death of president Bingu wa Mutharika. She served until May 2014.
She then fled the country into self-imposed exile on the back of a multimillion-dollar corruption case known as the “Cashgate” scandal.
She returned to Malawi last year saying the graft allegations against her were politically motivated. She has never faced any charges