Form GNU or resign, Aford tells Bingu

Aford has asked Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika to swallow his pride and form a government of national unity (GNU) to help solve the current crises rocking the country.

Alliance for Democracy (Aford) national chairperson Enock Chihana told scores of party loyalists at a pre-Christmas political rally at Katoto Freedom Park in the northern Malawi city of Mzuzu on Friday that it is time Mutharika declared that the country is going through a crisis and, therefore, must include all political parties in his government to tackle the crises.

Chihana wondered why Mutharika was at the time silent while the situation was deteriorating in the country and urged him to tell the nation how he would steer the country out of the crises.

Landlocked Malawi is reeling from fuel and forex shortages punctuated with souring diplomatic relations with its bordering neighbours, notably Mozambique and Zambia and one of its strategic traditional donors, United Kingdom (UK). Other donors such as the US and EU have suspended their aid over poor governance and human rights record.

“Mutharika must declare that we are going through a crisis and he should come up with a rescue plan. Alternatively, he can form a government of national unity or if the crises continue, he could just resign,” Chihana said.

He said it was foolhardy for Malawi to detach itself from Britain, noting that the UK virtually does not benefit anything from Malawi and that its donor aid is on humanitarian grounds.

Chihana also urged the opposition to have strong intra-party democracy by having elected leaders from conventions from which they could draw their legitimacy to govern.

“It is only a strong opposition that can remove the DPP out of government in 2014. We need to be united and present one candidate from Chitipa to Nsanje if we are to win the elections,” he said.

Chihana criticised nepotistic tendencies in the DPP-led government where almost all top positions were given to people from one region and tribe, and urged the police not to allow to be used by politicians, noting that they would all be called to account for the same in future when government changes.

The party’s secretary general Khwauli Msiska bemoaned the level of suffering among Malawians that has come about due to the current fuel and forex shortages.

He said Aford will go to the convention early next year as soon as they put up grassroots’ structures.

Aford second vice-president Chinkhokwe Banda and its only known surviving founding member Harry Chiume also spoke at the rally where they asked people to forgive and help build the party.

Aford, which scooped all seats in the Northern Region in 1994’s general elections, now only has two MPs.