Peter,
Before moving further, let me state for the record that I'm a Bingu fan. Having said that, let me also state that my admission should not be taken to mean that I'm necessarily biased.
Again, this is what I know of the situation in Malawi: Bingu wa Mutharika was hand-picked by his predecessor to be the presidential candidate of the UDF Party. Inherent in that arrangement was the implication that Bingu would walk the party line. It is common knowledge that former president Bakili Muluzi believes that the party is greater than the administration ("government", as people are fond of saying in Malawi). Bingu and Mr. Muluzi have argued this back and forth, as press reports have borne out.
Since Mr. Muluzi created for himself the position of party chairman in UDF upon his exit from government and has stated that the party is greater than the administration, it follows that he intended to rule Malawi by proxy. Thus, when his supposed devotee turned the table and put into place a strict policy against corruption, almost all hell broke loose. Former government officials who feared being caught in the dragnet became overnight critics of the administration.
When Bingu distanced himself further from UDF and abandoned some of Muluzi's practices, he was warned by Muluzi that an administration cannot survive alienation from the party that brought it into power.
If you care about sovereignty of the state, then you will agree that Bingu is right in asserting that the government is above the party and not the other way around. You will also agree that the president should render his constitutional duties without a puppet master in the background pulling strings.
Therein lies the nexus of the current political struggles in Malawi.
Again, I defer to Professor Makuluni and others who are more knowledgeable about Malawi than I am. Their input would be greatly appreciated.
Take care,
- Wilmot
PETER W VAKUNTA <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
Thanks for your feedback Wilnot. If the president absconded from the
party that catapulted him into the helm in Malawi, that in itself is a
breach of trust. Again I go back to technicalities: What does the
MALAWIAN constitution say on issues like these? What about the
constitution of the ruling party? What are the stipulations in these
documents? I know that some of our constitutions in Africa are not
worthier that the sheets of paper on which they are writtten. BUT,
there comes a time in the life of a nation when the truth has to be
faced for better or for worse.
Can any Malawian brother or sister unravel this conundrum, please.
Have a good one!
PETER W.VAKUNTA
DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
602 VAN HISE HALL
1220 LINDEN DRIVE
MADISON WI 53706-1525
U.S.A
Office 608 262 4067
Home 608 422 6089
Cell 608 381 0407
"The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is
in his heart."
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wilmot B. Valhmu"
Date: Thursday, September 15, 2005 10:49 am
Subject: Re: MALAWI AGAIN!!
> Peter,
>
> The little I know of Malawian politics indicates that the drive to
> impeach President wa Mutharika hinges on the fact that he resigned
> from the party that got him into office. Loyalists from that
> party (the UDF) are fuming, thus the call for impeachment.
>
> While I was in Malawi, nobody could give me a very good reason for
> some people's call for impeachment of the president. Mr.
> Chakuamba's quoted statement that his party's MPs would join the
> opposition in an effort to impeach the president may be based on
> nothing more than party politics.
>
> Bingu has his faults, but I've not seen anything that amounts to
> grounds for impeachment.
>
> Perhaps Professor Makuluni and others can enlighten us further on
> this issue.
>
> Take care,
>
> - Wilmot
>
>
> PETER W VAKUNTA wrote:
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> If the Malawian constitution allows for the impeachment of an
> incompetent head of state,why are they arresting this ex-minister for?
> Africa is sick and tired of perennial presidents who are doing nothing
> but ripping the populace of off!
>
> PETER W.VAKUNTA
> DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
> UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
> 602 VAN HISE HALL
> 1220 LINDEN DRIVE
> MADISON WI 53706-1525
> U.S.A
> Office 608 262 4067
> Home 608 422 6089
> Cell 608 381 0407
>
> "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise
> man is
> in his heart."
> BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: PETER W VAKUNTA
> Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 6:47 pm
> Subject: MALAWI AGAIN!!
>
> > ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
> >
> > Sacked Malawi minister detained
> >
> > Chakuamba served a decade in jail for sedition under Banda
> > Malawian politician Gwanda Chakuamba has been arrested following his
> > sacking last week as a cabinet minister.
> > He has been detained for questioning over a speech at the
> weekend in
> > which he predicted that the president would be out of office by
> > Christmas.
> >
> > His party's MPs planned to join the opposition to impeach President
> > Bingu wa Mutharika, he had warned.
> >
> > He was one of the main opposition candidates in last year's
> elections> but joined a reconciliation government.
> >
> > The veteran politician was dismissed as agriculture minister and
> > replaced by the transport deputy minister, Sidiq Mia last week.
> >
> > He has served more than a decade in jail for sedition under the late
> > Malawian leader, Hastings Banda.
> >
> > Viva Nyimba, Mr Chakuamba's lawyer, said the charge was for a
> > misdemeanour which he said carries a fine of up to $15.
> >
> > He described the arrest as political persecution because his
> > client has
> > been denied police bail for what he called "a minor offence".
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > E-mail this to a friend Printable version
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > LINKS TO MORE AFRICA STORIES
> >
> >
> > SelectNigerian march against fuel hikesUgandan rebel attack shocks
> > SudanAfricans trust religious leadersSacked Malawi minister
> > detainedFuel shortages hit hard in HarareMiracle baby mother 'stole
> > child'Burundi's rebels keep on fightingFuel shortage hits Sudan aid
> > opsNiger food aid is 'misdirected'Calls to end Libya's naming
> > banEthiopia PM reaches out to OromosDR Congo's hippos face
> > extinctionWorld Bank backs red tape cuttersNigeria frees European
> > sailorsSomali police block UN aid work'Miracle baby'
> > mother 'tortured'Fears for missing Madagascar boatBurundi: A
> question> of justiceMauritania's deadly daily povertyZimbabwe's
> economy - still
> > on the brinkBeing pregnant in AfricaCan we stop maternal
> > deaths?Why I
> > love AfricaSend us your pictures of AfricaProgrammes and schedules
> >
> > MALAWI ELECTION
> >
> >
> > KEY STORIES
> >
> >
> > President gains majority
> > Chakuamba's shock u-turn
> > In pictures: Poll violence
> > Media urges restraint
> > Profile: Bingu wa Mutharika
> > A look at the man elected Malawi's new president.
> >
> >
> > BACKGROUND
> >
> >
> > Q&A: Was the election fair?
> > Presidential hopefuls
> > Battle for votes
> > A decade of Muluzi
> > Timeline
> > Country profile
> >
> >
> > HAVE YOUR SAY
> > Your experiences
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
> > Malawi government
> > The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet
> sites>
> >
> > TOP AFRICA STORIES NOW
> > Nigerian march against fuel hikes
> >
> > LRA rebel attack shocks Sudan
> >
> > Africans trust religious leaders
> >
> > Sacked Malawi minister detained
> >
> > | What is RSS?
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> >
> >
> >
> > PETER W.VAKUNTA
> > DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
> > UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
> > 602 VAN HISE HALL
> > 1220 LINDEN DRIVE
> > MADISON WI 53706-1525
> > U.S.A
> > Office 608 262 4067
> > Home 608 422 6089
> > Cell 608 381 0407
> >
> > "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise
> > man is
> > in his heart."
> > BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
> >
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