The condemnation follows what DPP senior member and presidential advisor on political affairs, Francis Mphepo, said about the alleged ungrateful attitude of ‘people from the Northern region’ and government ability withhold development.

In their separate statements, the MCP and the Freedom Party suggest that what Mphepo is alleged to have said appeared to be a policy position of the government of President Peter Mutharika, the DPP and its entire leadership.

Mphepo is quoted to have said at a meeting in Blantyre recently that Mutharika would withdraw projects from the north as punishment for its’ ungrateful people.

“While we all know already that DPP is synonymous with mediocrity, lawlessness, corruption, nepotism and all sorts of discrimination, the remarks by Mr. Francis Mphepo smack of a party that is misplaced, undemocratic, archaic and grossly disastrous for our nation.

“It is known to every Malawian that under the DPP regime, which is at the advent of its end, Malawi has not known any effort to promote nationhood and the spirit of unity. What Mr Mphepo has said is in fact an announcement of the policy they have all along implemented silently against the northern region of Malawi,” reads a public statement by the MCP signed for by party spokesperson Rev. Maurice Munthali.

In the statement by the Freedom Party, it reads in part:

“The nepotism of DPP comes from a long time ago. Recently, it was the General Secretary of the DPP that went to the northern region and told the nation that the Northern Region will never produce a President until the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. These are the people that hold key positions in the DPP….

“Mr. Francis Mphepo is a Presidential Advisor that is, he is a close confidant of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi, Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika. This tells us what our president champions,” reads the Freedom Party statement.

The two political parties have, since, called on Malawians to unite and resist on-going attempts “by the DPP” to divide people of this country along tribal lines.

“We are all one and must always look at development as a human right which must never be politicized,” reads the statement from Freedom Party.

And the MCP says; “Through the remarks by Mr Mphepo, DPP is insensitively fanning anger on a people who have always suffered immensely under their burdensome reign”.

Special Assistant to Mphepo, Peter Mangulenje, told Zodiak Online that his boss never uttered the alleged remark and that their position was that this was a social media attempt to demonize Mphepo.

“At no point did the honourable Mphepo make such remarks,” Mangulenje said.

Mphepo himself has not been talking in public since the said remarks were made.

The two parties echo the position that not a single citizen in Malawi is indebted to the president or any other leader for development projects as this is a citizen right.