BLANTYRE--Riot police were called in to quell a fight between the youth camps of presidential aspirant Atupele Muluzi and those of acting president Friday Jumbe at the party's headquatres in Limbe on Tuesday.

"It was a fierce fight," a United Democratic Front (UDF) leader, Rozina Phiri, told MaraPost, saying the fight started over office space at the UDF headquarters. The house which houses UDF headquarters is owned by former UDF chairman Bakili Muluzi, the father of Atupele. The senior Muluzi was Malawi's president between 1994 and 2004.

Phiri said the Jumbe camp used to hold their meeting at Superior Hotel at Magalasi but moved to the UDF house because they felt "the house belongs to UDF."

She said the Atupele youths were vocal and raring for a big fight until someone tipped off the police of a possible deadly clash.

"The Atupele youths are bitter with secretary general Kennedy Makwangwala for they think his camp wants to frustrate Atupele's chances of becoming a UDF presidential candidate. On the other hand, the Jumbe camp is also fighting to have Jumbe as the next presidential candidate," Phiri, who is in the Jumbe camp, added.

Atupele has launched  a nationwide bid for the presidency, saying Malawi needs change and new leadership to prosper.
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©2011 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment