OPPOSITION NDA MERGES WITH RULING UDF; MPINGANJIRA

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000798 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM PINR MI SUBJECT: OPPOSITION NDA MERGES WITH RULING UDF; MPINGANJIRA EYEING 2009 REF: A. LILONGWE 559 ¶B. 03 LILONGWE 696 ¶1. (SBU) After only one year as a registered political party (and over three years of strong anti-United Democratic Front opposition),Brown Mpinganjira's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has de-registered and merged with the UDF. The party's August 9 decision to join the ruling party, which according to the press has not gone over well with the NDA's grassroots, comes after party president Mpinganjira announced the party's support for the UDF on June 18 (reftel A). ¶2. (SBU) On UDF Chairman (and former President) Bakili Muluzi's recent whistle-stop tour "to thank the party's supporters," Mpinganjira stood faithfully by Muluzi's side in what appeared to be an attempt to re-introduce the party's formerly wayward son. To avoid having their seats declared vacant for "crossing the floor" by changing political parties, the NDA parliamentarians plan to remain independents in Parliament. COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Mpinganjira, who was the UDF's most likely 2004 presidential candidate when he was expelled from the party in 2000, fell out of favor with then President Muluzi when he would not support Muluzi's bid for a third presidential term. The creation of the NDA and opposition to the UDF that ensued were meant to attract Mpinganjira presidential votes in the 2004 elections. After a dismal defeat (winning less than 9 percent of the vote),Mpinganjira has likely assessed the UDF's recent discontent with President Mutharika as his opportunity to position himself as the UDF's 2009 presidential candidate. In the meantime, the NDA's disgruntled grassroots supporters will likely align themselves with other opposition parties. RASPOLIC