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Malawi: Political crisis in the midst of starvation

Raphael Mwenenguwe - 12/1/2005

Malawi has been under a multiparty system of government for the past 11 years now. For 30 years since Independence from Britian, the country was ruled with an iron fist under the “mighty” Malawi Congress Party (MCP) led by the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Banda, who lost in 1994 general elections to United Democratic Front (UDF) president Bakili Muluzi, never allowed any opposition in his way and many of those who opposed him either fled the country or died in the hands of the police and the notorious Malawi Young Pioneers, a military wing of the MCP.

When people voted in the UDF there were a lot of expectations and many thought their poverty would be history. They were wrong. Ten years under the UDF rule, the country became more poorer than it were before 1994, according to United Nations Development Report of 2002. It is estimated that over 65% of the population live below the poverty line. There was wide spread corruption, lack of transparency, poor governance and lack of rule of law. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other major donors such as the UK and USA cut aid to Malawi alleging corruption and lack of transparency.

“We can do without them. They cannot lecture us on democracy. This is a sovereign state and donors should stick to their money,” said former president Muluzi when he opened the Japanese Constructed bridge two years ago.

Since 2001, all donors were kept at bay just watching the political events unfolding in the tiny but one of the most populated countries in the sub-Saharan Africa with 12 million people.

The IMF and the World Bank resumed financial assistance just last year when the new administration led by an economist Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika came into power.

Muluzi as presidential candidate in the 2004 general elections chose Mutharika, 72, but their relationship did not last long. When he was taking oath of office Mutharika promised the country and donors that he would fight corruption and “anyone who is found to be involved in corruption will be arrested and rosecuted.”

His zero tolerance on corruption saw a number of UDF former cabinet Ministers and UDF members being arrested and prosecuted for taking part in corruption. His stand attracted more enemies within the party and in January this year he decided to quite UDF and form his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“I cannot be part of the party that is corrupt,” he told the nation the reasons for quitting the party and become independent. Mutharika won the hearts of many people including donors for his stand on corruption. He became the first president to quit a party that sponsored him into elections and claim to remain independent.

The main opposition MCP and UDF have vowed to remove from office Mutharika because the two parties feel Mutharika is violating the Constitution but legal experts are divided over the impeachment of the president.

The UDF feels cheated by the president for dumping the party while the MCP says the UDF stole elections for Muthrika and was not genuinely elected into office.

Several UDF MPs and one MCP MP have joined Mutharika’s government and they claim they want to support the president’s development plans. The infighting that exists between Mutharika and the opposition is diverting attention of government to deal with the food crisis that is threatening the lives of 5 million people. Due to drought this year, the country has not harvested enough maize, the country’s staple food. The UN and government of appealed during the General Assembly in New York two months ago but very little aid is coming in to help the sufferings.

Mutharika and his predecessor do not see each other eye to eye because of a number of arrests government has made from the opposition, mainly the UDF.

“These are political arrests. Mutharika want to arrests everyone who opposes his plans,” said Sam Mpasu UDF spokesperson.

“These are not political arrests. Government has made its point clear that all those who are corrupt or involved in corruption should be prosecuted,” said Patricia Kaliati, government spokesperson. The IMF, the World Bank and many other donors who have resumed aid to Malawi are showering Mutharika with lost of praises in the way he handles the economy and fight corruption.

“CABS [Common Approach to Budget Support] are satisfied with the progress made by the Government in fighting corruption. However, it is concerned at the slow processing of the main cases when they reach the courts and at the potential loss of credibility to the fight against corruption. CABS calls for continued action by all parties involved to speedily process cases and to implement anti-corruption programmes,” reads a statement released by CABS mid November this year. CABS, is a grouping consisting the British Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission, Norway and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) that supports the Malawi budget.

The opposition and some civil society groups are accusing the Mutharika administration of failing to put in place programmes aimed at curbing hunger, which has existed in Malawi for the past five years. The opposition feels the government is concerned with arresting its members while neglecting its core duty.

“Government is trying all it can to fight hunger and everything has been done to salvage the situation. The opposition is there to frustrate me because of my stand on corruption. If you are a thief the law will catch you,” said Mutharika.

Mutharika’s administration has started working on constructing major roads that have not been repaired or constructed under the past two administrations of Dr. Banda and Muluzi.

Whatever, the political bickering that takes place among politicians, the most important thing that the people of Malawi need, at least for now is food.