Former Malawi president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) has withdrawn from the UTM, PP, Tikonze, and Aford Alliance, citing betrayal by UTM.

PP National Publicity Secretary Ackson Kalaile Banda said in a statement on Monday that the agreement was that UTM president Saulos Chilima would nominate his running mate from PP.

“People’s Party is withdrawing from this arrangement because UTM has failed to comply with the terms of the arrangement and the spirit of solidarity that emerged between UTM and PP,” reads the statement in part.

According to the statement the two parties joined the arrangement after five months of discussions during which PP President Dr Joyce Banda nominated UTM president Dr Saulos Chilima as the torch bearer for the group.

It said the parties also agreed that the UTM president would nominate the running mate from PP but until Monday, UTM had been playing hide and seek on the matter.

Banda said it was the view of Dr Joyce Banda to forgo the position of torch bearer for PP in the May 21 elections in the interest of the national alliance that would bring genuine transformation to the people of Malawi.

News of a coalition between UTM party, People’s Party (PP), Tikonze Progressive Movement, and Aford was announced through a press statement which was signed by UTM president Saulos Chilima and his counterparts PP’s Joyce Banda, Aford’s Enock Chihana and Tikonze’s interim vice president Mark Katsonga Phiri on Friday last week.