JZU eyes second vice-presidency

Malawi President Joyce Banda has started talks with politicians who are throwing themselves at her feet vying for inclusion into a Government of National Unity (GNU) she is reportedly assembling.

Banda has already met Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president and leader of opposition in Parliament John Tembo who, according to senior People’s Party (PP) and MCP insiders, wants to be appointed Second State Vice-President as a condition for his participation in the GNU.

The President has also met individual members of Parliament from MCP, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) who want to directly work with her.

But Banda has reportedly told the MPs that if they want to work with her, as individuals, they must formally resign from their parties, write the Speaker of Parliament of their decision and join her PP.

These developments could change the country’s political landscape as mass resignations, defections and resultant exodus to PP could spark a flurry of legal battles in view of Section 65 of the Constitution that bars MPs from leaving a party that sponsored their seats to join another whether it is represented in Parliament or not.

The situation could also severely weaken the opposition, kick checks and balances down the cliff and drag the country’s democracy into a free fall.

Initially, many believed that it was only DPP MPs who sought favours from Banda since president Bingu wa Mutharika’s death two weeks ago and her ascendancy to the position of Head of State.

In an interview on Thursday, Tembo confirmed meeting President Banda for talks, but could not confirm his proposal to get the Second Vice-Presidency.

“Yes, I met the President, but I cannot tell you what we discussed,” he said.

The Constitution allows the President to appoint a Second Vice-President from any political party other than his or her own.

“That is what he demanded as a condition to join and support the new administration,” a high ranking PP official said of Tembo earlier in the week.

Tembo also said he was aware that some MCP MPs met the President either as individuals or groups.

Said Tembo: “As Head of State, she can meet anyone she wants. There is nothing unusual about that.”

The Nation established some names of the latest batch of MCP legislators who went to meet Banda as Mchinji South MP Jerome Waluza, Lilongwe South East MP Willard Gwengwe, Mchinji North MP Rachael Mazombwe Zulu and Lilongwe East MP Ezekiel Ching’oma.

Waluza this week confirmed that the quartet met President Banda on Monday at Mtunthama State Lodge, but said they went there to express their support for the new administration.

“I went with my three colleagues as MPs,” said Waluza, who also confirmed that Banda asked them to resign from their parties if they want to work with PP.

On the question of whether they have been promised any Cabinet positions, Waluza said: “Let us cross the bridge when we are there. We only were expressing our support to her administration.”

MCP has roughly 30 parliamentarians, making it the single largest bloc in the National Assembly after DPP, which has about 140 MPs. UDF has 18, Mafunde (1), Maravi (1) and Aford (2). The rest are independents.

UDF leader in the House Ibrahim Matola also confirmed that, as a group, they already met Banda when she was at Area 12.

Said Matola: “We were 11 MPs, but it was to convey our condolences and congratulate her on ascending to the office of the President. We were there only for 20 minutes and we did not touch on anything political.”

He also said the prerogative to appoint Cabinet ministers rests with the President and UDF can only comment if officially offered specific positions.

PP secretary general Henry Chibwana on Thursday confirmed that there have been some meetings between the President and several politicians, but said the outcomes will be known publicly if the issues discussed affect the public.

Said Chibwana: “They come as individuals, as parliamentarians and as different delegations, but we cannot say what they want.

“It is indeed true that those that have asked to be part of us are advised to resign, inform the Speaker, write to their parties and copy us.”

He also confirmed the offers of support are coming from “all directions” and not the DPP only, saying as a party, PP welcomes any Malawian of goodwill.