Appearing on NBS TV on October 14, 2025, Mathias Mpuuga, the Democratic Front (DF) President, addressed the ongoing speculation regarding the party’s endorsement of a presidential candidate for the forthcoming 2026 general elections.
Mpuuga reiterated that the DF’s National Council had met on September 20, 2025, and resolved that the party would not present a presidential candidate at the presidency citing absence of the required electoral and constitutional reforms to guarantee free, fair, and credible elections.
In the same TV show, Mpuuga emphasized that the National Council resolution still stands, and the party has not endorsed any presidential candidate as far as the race is ongoing.
He said that they are still studying all the opposition candidates and their programs to establish the possibility of endorsing one of them, but he hastened to add that the DF holds no obligation to endorse any candidate, if it is so determined that no one articulates the party’s aspirations.
Mpuuga emphasized the importance of careful and thoughtful endorsement, refuting any notion that it should be a mere ritual.
“Endorsement cannot be a ritual. Endorsement must deliberate, must be protracted, must be discussed, and must be a point of conviction. When the National Council of the DF sat and made a resolution to say that we have not endorsed anybody, but we are observing and listening to opposition candidates, and we would if necessary arises, endorse one of them. The one that will speak to our aspirations as the party, the one that will speak to the kind of issues that inhibited our participation at the presidency, and that if that chance arises, we would endorse that candidate,” the president said.
“It is very important that we do not turn politics into a ritual. Politics and politicians must be serious about what they tell people and as the DF, we do not think, and refuse to say that if no one does articulate the views we think should be articulated, we would leave it. We are not obligated to endorse anyone,” he added.
“It is our space, and if we think it is right to do, we will do it. It is not a crime for us to endorse no one,” he concluded.
Satisfaction
Moving beyond the endorsement discussion, Mpuuga expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the DF since its formation, particularly highlighting the recruitment of new members from a diverse set of political backgrounds not limited to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
“We have recruited from any party from anywhere… we have recruited from the NRM,” he noted, addressing concerns that the DF is targeting only disillusioned NUP members. Mpuuga assured that the DF is open to embracing individuals who share the party’s vision, regardless of their political past.
The DF’s minimum political agenda was also a focal point during the interview. Mpuuga proudly mentioned that this agenda had been effectively communicated a month prior, signifying the party’s commitment to addressing vital issues facing the country.
“We are not spectators. Definitely our humble work will have an influence over what will happen at the presidential elections,” he asserted, reiterating the importance of the DF’s role in shaping political discourse.
Mpuuga rejected claims that the DF is merely a passive player in the political arena. “Influence can be direct or indirect, and in my humble view, where we have the space, membership, and influence, we speak to the people,” he said, stressing the party’s active engagement with its supporters and the broader electorate.
