President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has dropped State Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima in the 32 member Cabinet released on Thursday, March 19, 2020.

The new cabinet list came barely hours after the grand alliance signing ceremony of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and United Transformation Movement (UTM) held at Kamuzu Institute of Sports in Lilongwe.

As per tradition, the list of the Cabinet has to include the name of the Vice President but Mutharika deliberately did not mention the name of Vice President newly released list which many commentators believe is a campaign cabinet.

Chilima is yet to comment on the move by Mutharika.

Chilima has joined forces with Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to snatch the leadership mantle from President Mutharika through the forthcoming Presidential polls.

The two also joined forces in challenged the outcome of the May 21, 2019 Presidential polls resulting in to the nullification of the polls by the Constitutional Court on February 3, 2020.

Meanwhile Mutharika and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) have filed for an appeal at the Supreme Court and the case is scheduled to commence on April 15, 2020.