First Vice-President Jane Ansah has publicly revealed deep factionalism within the governing Democratic Progressive Party. In an interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Ansah stated she has been deliberately sidelined by government officials since taking office, according to Nyasa Times. She claimed her isolation began the day President Peter Mutharika announced her as his running mate, though she maintained that her personal relationship with the president remains cordial.
Following her remarks, former presidential legal adviser Allan Ntata cautioned Ansah against relying exclusively on legal avenues to resolve her situation. Nyasa Times reports that Ntata publicly warned the Vice-President via a Facebook post about a "politicojuridical trap." He noted that while the law preserves her office, it cannot force the executive branch to grant her trust or include her in consequential political decision-making.
In a separate political development, Second Vice-President Enock Chihana has demanded that the ruling party honor the terms of the "Blue Alliance Manifesto" agreed upon with the Alliance for Democracy. According to Nyasa Times, Chihana used an executive committee meeting to push for an additional deputy position within the government as promised in the pre-election pact. At the same gathering, delegates elected Grace Chupa as the new deputy leader of the Alliance for Democracy.
Update: Following the Malawi Congress Party's recent apology to its former Tonse Alliance partners, internal resistance has surfaced. The Malawi Freedom Network reports that lawyer and Nkhotakota Central MP Sylvester Ayuba James issued a public challenge to the party. He argued that the apology functions merely as political damage control and carries little weight as long as Dr. Lazarus Chakwera remains in leadership.