By now, everyone knows that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a parry in decline, by the speed at which the party is going down is very alarming especially to the few remnants of its faithful supporters.
If the results of Thursday’s Dedza Central by elections is anything to go by, then DPP has reached the point of no return and there is no prospect of redemption in sight.
According to the unofficial results being published by different publications, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Willard Gwengwe has emerged victorious having polled 7988 vote against his closest challenger an independent candidate Jacob Kaumphawi who got 7395 votes. DPP candidate Andrew Kawoza has managed a meagre 395 votes of the total votes cast.
This is the latest defeat on the series of defeats held in succesive by-elections since they got out of power.
It is latest because in the previous by-elections DPP has also had poor showing across the country. In 2021 MCP candidate won the Mzimba by-election with 3615 and DPP candidate polled a miserable 149 votes, in 2022 MCP candidate won in Chitipa by-election with 1663 against DPP’s 304, MCP candidate also won the Karonga seat in a by-election with 1591 against DPP’s 542 votes. MCP also notched victories in Nkhotakota and Nsanje by elections by wider margins to that of DPP.
Of course it was widely expected that MCP will reclaim the seat being the party’s stronghold but still this win is a big statement that the party continues to gain ground at the expense of the faltering DPP.
By and large, this is the beginning of the end for the DPP. It is clear that more embarrassments await them in the 2025 elections.
