Malawi: FORD sets April 2023 to decide future of Tonse Alliance marriage!

The Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) – one of the nine parties that constitute the governing
Tonse Alliance – has disclosed that it has set their next year’s April 2023 elective indaba as a
time when it will decide on whether or not to keep on with their political affair with the Alliance.

AFORD president Enock Chihana, who is son to late trade unionist and political czar Thom
Chakufwa Chihana, stressed during a meeting in the commercial capital Blantyre that their
[AFORD] agreement with the Tonse Alliance was “solely electoral.”
He said: “People need to understand this, and that each of the nine parties has its manifestos
and plans.”
According to Chihana, his party’s plans were that they compete in the 2025 presidential race
on their own and was upbeat that AFORD was poised to change the lives of Malawians for the
better.
“Our drive to continue reviving our party is on course, and this is regardless of the Tonse Alliance. Tonse
Alliance is not a political party and therefore we make our own plans.

“You may wish to know that each of the parties makes its own plans and here we are making
ours. We intend to launch ten more political regions for successful implementation of the
rebranding strategy, which we started in 2020,” said Chihana.
According to him, the AFORD leadership has been spiritedly drumming up support in the southern region districts of Neno, Mwanza, Chiradzulu and Blantyre to garner nationwide patronage for the party which is considered a northern region party.
“People will be surprised to know that AFORD has a lot of support in the southern region. When we engage people on what AFORD envisions for the country and our manifesto people are excited and see the party as the only hope for Malawi. On their own people have created committees and talking highly of the party,” he said.
On Monday, AFORD admitted that it did not know its role or responsibility in Tonse Alliance. Chihana said the alliance was just on paper and not on the ground.
“As AFORD, we don’t know our role and responsibility in this Alliance,” said Chihana adding that: “I guess that is also the case with other alliance partners. The alliance is as good as dead,” Chihana said.