Be fair and honest in criticising government
By The Daily Times - 31 January 2006 - 03:39:07

THE MUTHARIKA administration has surprised his critics with how long he has kept the kwacha stable, considering how battered the economy was since he took office over a year-and-a-half ago.We have to say that he confounded his critics with how he has managed the economy and earned kudos from Western donors, for adhering to fiscal discipline.Even the renowned economist, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, has spoken in glowing terms about Mutharika’s ability to manage the economy, praising him particularly for enabling the Malawi Government for once to spend within budget, after 12 years of repeatedly going off target.Today the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) has raised the alarm that the economy might be off course once again and warmed the government to observe fiscal discipline. The alarm comes in the wake of a sudden depreciation of the kwacha, which has taken our currency from an exchange rate of about 1:125 to the US dollar. This is a drop of about 3 percentage points.We take heart that there are economic observers who take a keen interest in developments surrounding the kwacha vis-à-vis other currencies. It goes to show that we are a vigilant nation that will not let itself be taken for a ride; we have among us people that will demand accountability and responsibility from our government.Mejn has pointed out fiscal discipline as one of the victims of the Mutharika administration, citing the President’s frequent foreign travels. How many trips has Mutharika made abroad in recent months and how do they compare with those made by his predecessor? Can we truly blame them for the fall of the kwacha?Mejn has given the government some very specific tips, but how practical is the advice. The organisation claims that the government is spending on luxury items for State House, but gives no examples. We all remember, though, how the State stopped the purchase of three Maybach 62 limousines for the President, the First Lady and State House. What other expense has the President incurred which he should not have?Mejn also surprisingly points at the purchase of maize as another factor that has led to the fall of the kwacha. True but who did not expect it. When Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe pointed out that government did not have the money to import maize and universal subsidised fertiliser, how many of our lawmakers listened to him.They were then spoiling for a fight and would not listen to the gentle voice of reason. That left the government with little choice but to import fertilisers and maize it could ill-afford because the legislators would have it so. It is, therefore, not entirely fair to blame it all on the Mutharika administration when, as a consequence, the kwacha starts tumbling down.The demands on the administration have been overwhelming and, from the response of our traditional donors, it has performed admirably. Yes, we as concerned citizens have a duty to keep an eye on how government is using the public coffers. After all, they belong to us all.Critics of the government must be specific and constructive. A good government will not ignore honest, constructive criticism and we hope the Mutharika administration will not ignore what is within its powers to correct.

Bakili Muluzi Snubs Thomson Take-Over

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
January 31, 2006 Posted to the web January 31, 2006
Arnold MnelembaLilongwe
United Democratic Front (UDF) Chairperson Bakili Muluzi once again imposed his will on the party by snubbing a unanimous verdict by the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) that senior NEC member Harry Thomson take over the chairmanship of the party. Instead, he imposed Vice President Cassim Chilumpha as the acting chairperson, The Chronicle has established.
The verdict, which was passed through a voting process, was reached when Thomson scooped more votes than Chilumpha and the third contestant, Kaphwiti Banda during the party's NEC meeting that was chaired by Bakili Muluzi himself, who is also the former head of state.
A highly confidential source in the UDF disclosed to The Chronicle that the UDF meet ended prematurely because of Muluzi's refusal to endorse Thomson who appears to be more popular that Chilumpha. "We agreed to elect an interim chairperson who would steer the party from now, up to the time that we conduct our convention because we were considering the fact that Muluzi indicated he would soon retire from active politics and was also going to Britain on holiday," said the source.
The party was forced to take the action after six former SADC heads of state, led by the former South African President Nelson Mandela urged Muluzi to leave local partisan politics and join regional peace mediation efforts. Additionally, Muluzi's absence from Malawi on medical grounds would necessitate that another leaders be mandated to hold the position, albeit in an acting capacity.
Our source disclosed that Muluzi argued during the NEC meeting that he would not take Thomson to be the Interim Chairperson because his allegiance to the party was not steady. He then opted for Chilumpha to hold the position, whom he said has remained very loyal to the party and its leadership.
NEC members who attended the meeting confirmed this development in separate interviews.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu confirmed that Harry Thomson, Kaphwiti Banda and Cassim Chilumpha were the three nominated people who contested for the post of the Acting Chairperson but was quick to quash reports that Thomson emerged the winner. He said that the NEC decided that Chilumpha is to be Acting Chairperson on the basis that he is the State Vice President. "I can confirm to you that it is not true that Thomson won the election but his name and that of Kaphwiti Banda were proposed for the post. The NEC decided to make Chilumpha Acting Chairperson for the party," said Mpasu.
In a related development, the National Executive member for UDF Brown Mpinganjira said in an interview last week that some top politicians in the party are imposing decisions on party members, a thing he said is not healthy for Malawi's democracy.
He said, it does not mean that he intends to quit the UDF if he expresses his opinion openly but he insisted he is only adding input in the form of constructive criticism intended at rebuilding the party.
He insisted that each party must have some reformers. "That is why I will tell you the truth; there are valid reasons why people are defecting from the party. It means there is something wrong and we must not burry our heads in the sand. We need to accept the problems and map an effective way forward that disregards other party official's wishes, who are fond of imposing views and decisions on the people." The UDF is known to be a party that encouraged the exploitation of the people by imposing candidates on them. This brought on the practice of independents, which often beat the party's candidate in the elections.
Mpinganjira intimated that the UDF has more than sufficient time to strategise in readiness for the 2009 general elections and win, especially if the propensity to be undemocratic is addressed.

Give Back Muluzi's Money, MPs Tell Tembo

GREGORY GONDWE
for The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)

Thirty-nine Members of Parliament of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have told their party president John Tembo to return any money he may have received from the former State President Bakili Muluzi for him to support impeachment attempts on State President Bingu wa Mutharika. "If you have pocketed some money from Muluzi as you did during the Open Term Bill, please 'Kabwezeni' (give it back). You (Tembo) are not going to be president of Malawi through impeachment process. You should read the constitution carefully before deciding to support Muluzi blindly," says the MPs in a letter dated December 8, 2005 addressed to Tembo.
The MPs advise Tembo that that voting to impeach Bingu is tantamount to allowing Muluzi back in through Chilumpha who will take over to continue to manipulate and further destroy the country. "Everyone who understands the power struggles in Malawi knows that the only reason UDF is gunning for Bingu's impeachment is that he quit their party and prevented them from playing a central role in destroying our country further," say the MPs before querying: "Does that concern us as MCP?" Other than impeachment, the MPs suggest that as parliamentarians they need to focus on ways to put into place mechanisms that would prevent the president and other government officials from abusing their power by, among other things misusing public resources. "If President Bingu wa Mutharika is using government resources to build and run his party, then he must stop this nonsense immediately," warns the MPs in the letter which The Chronicle has sourced.
The MPs who are accusing Tembo over welding too much power warns him to slow down lest he be faced with a revolution that could unseat him. "You Honourable Tembo must be reminded that absolute power intoxicates its holder [and] intoxicated leaders forget to plug loopholes, which they take to be simple and take the oppressed for granted." "Yet there are these seemingly 'diminutive' acts that sometimes stand out to trigger off a 'silent movement' and later bulge out into an 'insurmountable revolution. Neglecting of your MPs voice would one day, not far from now, bring the 'revolution trigger'. You are so obsessed with dirty political tactics, that without them you would be finished," read the letter in part.
The MPs also warn Tembo not to force himself on people by trying to wipe out the presence of the party's life President, the late Dr, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
The MPs expressed shock that while President Mutharika is trying to restore the name of Kamuzu, Tembo intends to erase Kamuzu's face on party clothes and replace it with his own portrait. Tembo is said to have made these suggestions at a public rally he addressed in Area 25 towards the end of last year.

Opposition majority still threat to Malawi reforms
by Taonga Sabola, 19 January 2006 - 06:30:54

The numbers in Parliament currently skewed in favour of the opposition will continue to derail key legislation needed for vital reforms including the next budget, analysts said this week.National Bank of Malawi (NBM) said even if the coming budget is passed, it is possible that concessions will be made not for the revenue and expenditure plan’s benefit but as a display of political muscle.In its January 2006 economic newsletter, NBM said although it might not be so obvious to Malawians, failure to pass such legislation has and will continue to have huge costs on the economy.“Already we have seen substantial costs to companies and the economy, which have come about because of failure by our legislature to prioritise and pass key pieces of legislation in the financial sector,” said the bank.Malawi is in a situation where it has an opposition dominated Parliament with the ruling side having far much less Members of Parliament that cannot allow government to pass crucial laws.Recently, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Publicity Secretary Hetherwick Ntaba said the party is ready to incite defections and that more Members of Parliament (MPs) are likely to join the ruling side.This was followed by a number of MPs moving out of their parties and declaring themselves independent.Chancellor College Economics Professor Ben Kalua said it was very difficult to predict the impact that politics, especially Parliament, will have on the economy this year as it is still unclear how many MPs are supporting government.He, however, said the impact that parliamentary numbers may have on the economy this year could be reduced with more people joining the ruling side as evidenced by recent defections.Another economist Kondwani Mlilima said the impact the numbers might have on the economy depends on whether or not the opposition has changed its stance on such important issues.He said the stance by the opposition to reject important legislation was very unpopular. He added that there is a possibility Malawi may not face a similar predicament.Mlilima noted that the relationship between the ruling and the opposition has changed, though not significantly, but said relations are improving for the better.“However, it will be difficult to predict the impact as the politicians themselves are unpredictable,” he added.The opposition-dominated parliament delayed and almost rejected the 2005/2006 budget as members were trying to protect the interests of their political parties at the expense of national interest.As a result, Malawi almost failed to have the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF) agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

Former NDA leader now UDF member Brown Mpinganjira casts doubt on UDF comeback
by Isaac Masingati, 21 January 2006 - 03:07:40

UDF executive member and potential presidential candidate for 2009 general elections Brown Mpinganjira has cast a shadow of doubt over the party’s chances of winning the next elections saying the party needs to do a lot of rebuilding, a view shared by a political analyst.Mpinganjira also told Weekend Nation in an exclusive interview in Blantyre on Wednesday, he was not “too sure he wants to be the party’s presidential candidate”.Mpinganjira said President Bingu wa Mutharika’s resignations from UDF IN 2004 followed by defections of many prominent party members to DPP had put the UDF in a state of shock that requires immediate stitching if the party is to succeed in 2009.He said UDF had failed to regroup fast enough to strategise soon after Mutharika’s departure, a development he said would make it difficult for the party to stand the competitions.“We should have gone back to the people to seek fresh mandate. We are instead just patching up [the gaps]. This will not solve problems,” said Mpinganjira.The former NDA president said the recent defections and switch of allegiance to DPP by some of the party’s members had contributed to the weakening of the party in some areas. Mpinganjira, however, said a party of UDF’s calibre should be able to stand up and bounce back to its old self saying what will matter will be the party’s strength and ability to attract members of credibility and integrity.He also said a properly held national convention could help rebuild the party and eventually come up with a popular presidential candidate who would take it to 2009 elections.“As things are now, there is a long way to go because we do not even know when we have the next convention,” said Mpinganjira.Asked to comment on his aspirations to lead the ship as its 2009 presidential candidate, Mpinganjira said he was not sure he has such ambitions.Said he: “I don’t think I am too sure I want to be the party’s presidential candidate.”He could also not confirm reports that he is moving to either the Malawi Congress Party or the DPP only saying he would like to maintain his current position as an independent member of Parliament.Asked to express his feelings about media reports that New Republican Party president Gwanda Chakuamba wants to join the UDF as president, Mpinganjira said if he were to leave the party it would not be because of Chakuamba.He, however, said such media reports make members unsure of their positions in the party and their loyalty to it.Said Mpinganjira: “You ask yourself ‘what is in it for me? Is my battle worth it? One then makes a decision.”He could not also comment on the recently announced UDF shadow cabinet which has conspicuously left out all members of his defunct NDA claiming he had not yet been briefed of the cabinet as he had just arrived from abroad.While condemning resignations of people from the party, Mpinganjira said the debate that has arisen within the party due to the political shake-up was healthy and that it had exposed people’s true feelings about party developments.In a separate interview, Chancellor College political science lecturer Boniface Dulani said the party will struggle to make a mark in any coming elections citing internal politicking.Dulani said the party had been “ravaged by lack of internal democracy” which he said had rendered its structures vulnerable to defections citing the imposition of President Mutharika as its 2004 candidate and eventual defections of its senior members.“They have to go back for soul-searching otherwise the road does not look any good,” said Dulani.

Bank upbeat on Malawi 8.2% GDP growth
by Taonga Sabola, 18 January 2006 - 04:35:42

Malawi is on course to achieve the targeted 8.2 percent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate this year, National Bank of Malawi (NBM) has said.But the bank has warned that the countries past economic ills will continue to haunt Malawi, one of the world’s 10 poorest countries.In its January Economic Newsletter, the bank noted that agriculture will continue to influence economic recovery, given the lack of economic diversification and natural resources that can be exploited.Despite last year’s drought cutting agricultural production by 24 percent, NBM said the sector should begin to recover in 2006 buoyed by the increased fertilizer use and the general good weather conditions.“However, the accumulated effect of the recent years of weak economic performance and drought in the previous growing season will continue to haunt the country for some years to come due to lagging spill over effects,” the bank said.The manufacturing sector, according to the bank, will continue to be driven by developments in agriculture, as food processing forms a large component of manufacturing.NBM added that coal—which is expected to pick up significantly following the opening of several mines across the country—will also drive growth in the mining sector.“But as this rise will be from a very low base, it will have very little impact on headline growth,” the bank said.Services are expected to benefit from an expansion in government spending owing to the resumption of donor financial assistance.Donor support is also expected to keep growth in the construction sector.If achieved, the 8.2 percent growth for 2006 will be the highest in democratic Malawi and the first to out pace the six percent bench mark that experts say is required to have an impact on a country’s poverty levels.Last November, analysts expressed mixed views on the country’s ability to achieve such a growth target with some saying the projection was too ambitious while the more optimistic ones believed it to be possible.In 2004, Malawi’s economy expanded by 4.6 percent, faster than the 3.9 percent recorded in the previous year.Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said in his last budget statement that although GDP expansion was projected to slow down to 2.1 percent last year due to dry spells which suppressed agricultural productivity, he expected a rebound this year.Agriculture, which accounts for around 40 percent of Malawi’s GDP, would help achieve the 8.2 percent growth target as long as good weather prevailed.Improved fiscal management, low interest rates, stable exchange rates and a higher investment ratio owing to large capital expenditure planned for the current fiscal year, were also tipped to help reach the target.

-story by the nation

UDF creating problems for Chilumpha and Malawi

If issues coming from the recent UDF caucus are anything to go by, then it is bad politics because the party is creating problems for Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, itself as a party, and the country as a whole.A shadow Cabinet which they are talking about is a government-in-waiting, so it requires no special political talent to realise that by involving Chilumpha in a shadow cabinet, UDF is worsening the already precarious political situation in the country.In effect, the UDF is putting Chilumpha on a collision course with the public on whose tax he is surviving as the country’s Vice-President. The situation the party is creating is untenable by Chilumpha as a public servant. It is unimaginable to expect him to effectively serve two masters at the same time.In his capacity as Vice-President, Chilumpha is expected to be working in the government where he holds that position. Already the situation on the ground is far from desirable. Malawians are getting a raw deal by maintaining a Vice-President who is hardly attending Cabinet and government meetings. He is literally an outsider in his own government.It seems UDF will never learn to do things in the interest of Mother Malawi. What the party was planning during its caucus is exactly what the recent African Leaders Forum in Mozambique was trying to address by advising the UDF chairman, Bakili Muluzi to slow down on partisan politics and concentrate on peace initiatives in the region. In fact, what the party is planning in the absence of its chairman is counter-productive to the good advice Muluzi’s peers are offering him in his interest, and indeed the interest of the whole country. That Muluzi, is being offered something in the new set-up is sheer arrogance by the party. It shows the UDF has not learnt anything Muluzi’s encounter with his peers in Mozambique.Regrettably, since Muluzi fell out of favour with President Bingu wa Mutharika—his own anointed successor—the UDF is busy churning out a lot of negative energy which is doing the country more harm than good, as evidenced by its efforts to impeach Mutharika. One wonders why, for a change, the party cannot patiently wait for 2009, and for once champion something for itself and the country as a whole.

-Nation Publications Editorial

‘Impeachment withdrawal to bring back confidence’
by Taonga Sabola, 12 January 2006 - 05:06:02


Economic analysts have applauded the move by Member of Parliament for Mangochi Malombe Maxwel Milanzi to withdraw the impeachment motion, saying it will bring in lost confidence in the economy.Milanzi withdraw the impeachment motion on Monday this week after discovering that the proposed ouster was unpopular.Society of Accountants in Malawi (Socam) Executive Director Hennox Mazengera said in an interview on Wednesday that the motion had greatly affected the confidence of both investors and donors.“The withdrawal of the motion will definitely bring renewed confidence into the economy,” said Mazengera.He pointed out that the motion had affected other industries like tourism since people were unwilling to visit a country marred by political tension.Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) Chief Executive Chancellor Kaferapanjira concurred with Mazengera.“It will take away the cloud of uncertainty that was there are and bring peace in the land as people will be assured of a continuity in the leadership,” said Kaferapanjira.During the last sitting of Parliament, MPs spent close to K56 million on debates that were dominated by impeachment, according to a report by the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn).Economists Association of Malawi (Ecama) said the withdrawal of the motion would give MPs a chance to discuss pertinent issues that have a bearing on economic development.Ecama spokesperson Harold Ngalawa said as professionals; they strongly believe that there was no economic benefit from impeachment.“Members of Parliament will now have a chance to discuss issues like fiscal prudence as to whether it exists or not rather than spending money on such an issue [impeachment],” said Ngalawa.

MP wants to withdraw impeachment motion

by Gedion Munthali, 07 January 2006 - 03:50:01

Mangochi Malombe MP Maxwell Milanzi (UDF) is said to have expressed an intention to withdraw his notice of motion to indict and impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika this week. A Parliamentary source said Milanzi phoned the secretariat on Tuesday, saying he wanted to withdraw his notice of motion but was advised to put his wish in writing. “He phoned the Deputy Clerk of Parliament here, saying he wants to withdraw the motion and was asking for advice on how to go about it,” said the source who is a senior official at Parliament. Milanzi, according to the source, did not give reasons for wanting the motion withdrawn. When contacted, Deputy Clerk of Parliament Stanislaus Chisanu said he had no knowledge of the issue. “We have not received anything,” said Chisanu. “We have also not sent Hon Milanzi anything.” Milanzi, himself, said he could not comment until Parliament meets. “I will not say anything,” said Milanzi. “I do not want to say anything on the issue. There is no sitting of Parliament so I cannot say anything. Wait until there is a sitting.” Parliamentary staff spent part of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday consulting and seeking legal opinions on how such a notice, already served on Mutharika, could be withdrawn, said the source. The reported U-turn comes soon after Milanzi had been ditched by his lawyer in a case where he is accused of contesting for a parliamentary seat before the expiry of seven years from the time he was allegedly convicted for misappropriation of funds at Sedom. An executive member of UDF indicated on Thursday that Milanzi was frustrated because the party was refusing to pay legal fees for his case. “He feels betrayed after being asked by the party to move the motion, and being promised support if he did it,” said the executive member UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu said his party was not aware of Milanzi’s move. “That is news. However, he can only withdrawal the motion by moving another motion in the House. We will see what happens,” said Mpasu who served as Speaker from 1999 to April 2003. But a senior parliamentary official said Friday Milanzi does not need to move another motion because his motion to indict and impeach President Mutharika was not moved in the first place. “The motion to indict and impeach was not moved,” said the official on condition that his name is not mentioned. “What we have on record is a notice of that motion. Honourable Richard Msowoya obtained a court injunction against the motion being moved until the impeachment procedures were looked at. The process is at that stage.” Milanzi filed the notice of motion on revised grounds for indicting and impeaching Mutharika late last year just hours after the House passed the impeachment procedures. He filed the first notice of motion in July on 11 grounds, which were later modified to accommodate new developments in the intervening period. Recent media reports said the grounds have now been condensed to eight. -story by The Nation

Pearey prays for unity among three arms of government
BY Anthony Kasunda
10:43:05 - 06 January 2006

The outgoing British High Commissioner to Malawi David Pearey said he was convinced an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation could be engendered among the three arms of the state in the country.

Pearey was speaking Wednesday evening at a farewell banquet at New State House organised by President Bingu wa Mutharika to mark his one year tour of duty in the country.

He said Mutharika’s leadership could facilitate unity among the legislature, judiciary and executive in 2006 without compromising any key principles on anti-corruption.

“I know you are willing to set the tone that will mark 2006 as one characterised by unity and progress in contrast perhaps to the political malaise that became a feature of the latter part of 2005,” he said.

The British envoy cautioned all right thinking politicians in the country to put the needs of the citizens before their personal and party priorities.

Pearey, who leaves after serving only one year as head of mission, also urged government not to relax but source more food for the hungry in the next three months.

He said British government was pleased to contribute significantly to the humanitarian effort to feed about 4 million people threatened by hunger.

“By any measure, this has been a remarkable success for the government working in concert with key donors,” said Pearey who leaves the country next Wednesday.

The envoy admitted his office had not always agreed with every aspect of the government's approach to the disaster such as the “distorting effects of using Admarc to distribute subsidised maize”.

“But though attempts have been made by some to construct a story of failure out of one of success, in practice there is increasing recognition that this combined humanitarian effort has managed to satisfy the requirement almost in its entirety,” he said.

He added: “While, with three of the most challenging months remaining, it would be wrong to be complacent, we can, I think rightly draw attention to a significant achievement to date.”

Pearey said Malawi needs to learn to love the private sector although there was greed and selfishness as corners were sometimes cut and taxes avoided.

“But, even if it is not always lovable, the private sector is without exception, always essential. Without it, no country can develop,” he observed.

He said the hesitations by the Malawi society to support privatisation of Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) and other companies and lack of a truly enterprise-supporting culture, point to a lingering and old-fashioned antipathy towards the private sector.

“I know that these hesitations are not shared by Your Excellency. I would strongly encourage you in 2006 to lead the way in reversing such antipathy that still remains,” he said.

Pearey said in every country, leadership was the essential ingredient to changing attitudes and states of mind.

-Story by The Daily Times

Malawi needs responsible politicians—Envoy

by George Ntonya, 03 January 2006 - 06:19:35

Outgoing British High Commissioner David Pearey has said the country’s political situation is worrying and would not change unless political leaders shift from politics of personal benefits. Speaking in an exclusive interview in his Lilongwe office on Thursday, Pearey said Malawi needs political leaders who can bring about real democratisation in political institutions. “It’s a worry. It’s one of those things that are dragging Malawi back,” observed the High Commissioner, saying the country would not move fast in national development if it does not have political leaders who are ready to bury their differences and work together for the interest of the poor masses. “What I see at the moment is that key party leaders are failing to work together responsibly [and] the effects of this can be a detriment to the development of the country. The current political situation worries me. I think it worries many others too,” he added. Since President Bingu wa Mutharika resigned from UDF, the party that sponsored him in the May 2004 general elections, the former ruling party has mounted pressure to have him impeached, with support from main opposition MCP. Attempts by civil society groups, the clergy and international mediators to bring the government and opposition to a negotiating table are failing to yield intended results. In his New Year message to the nation broadcast on the public media Mutharika reiterated that he is not ready to meet the opposition for reconciliation talks unless they give up their fight to oust him. Pearey said Malawians deserve responsible politicians who are ready to forget their personal interest to lift Malawi from the discomfort of abject poverty. “They should put aside their political differences and come together to discuss issues that matter most to all Malawians,” he advised, adding that he could not point a finger at any politician or political party for the current political impasse. He said he was hopeful that as people move into the New Year, the political heavyweights would be able to sink their differences and avoid personalising political decisions. “Politics is probably too personalised in Malawi so there is more emphasis on persons than institutions,” said Pearey, whose term of office has been cut short by two years and is expected to leave the country within two weeks.

Self-seeking politicians are misfits in democracy

Outgoing British High Commissioner David Pearey has not said anything new in suggesting that Malawi needs political leaders who can let democracy prevail in the country’s political institutions.
Pearey saw it for himself as politics of personal benefit, like he called it, took centre-stage during his tour of duty.
As our politicians sought to settle personal scores or save their political skins, tension ensued at the expense of national development. The common person, who put these politicians where they are, got a raw deal.
Political leaders need to listen this once and put the wider national good above whatever personal interests they may have.
If those interests are good, they can even be better served in a country where there is peace and calm, law and order, virtues that are essential for the development of any nation.
It is embarrassing that foreigners — who include Pearey and former heads of state in the region — are showing more concern for this country than those in whose hands the people of Malawi have entrusted their fate.
That should get our leaders thinking properly and make it a resolution for the New Year to make up for lost time.
Time has come for political leaders across the political divide to bury their personal differences and redirect their energies and emotions only to things that will benefit the people that gave them the power they abuse with shameless abandon. Those that cannot conform to this new order are misfits and will get their due reward.

-Editorial (The Nation Newspaper)