UDF ferries supporters to Chikwawa to swell crowd

BY GERALD NAMWAZA

13:03:29 - 07 April 2008



Opposition
United Democratic Front (UDF) Sunday hired vehicles to ferry supporters
to Chikwawa to patronise Bakili Muluzi’s rally, a move analysts say is
aimed at intimidating the breakaway group of Vice-President Cassim
Chilumpha.



But UDF has denied ferrying the people, saying all those that went to Chikwawa were from the area.



The former president, who is nursing ambitions to rule the country for
a third term, is facing pressure from a breakaway UDF headed by
Chilumpha to cap his presidential ambitions and leave the baton of
power to new blood.



“What he is trying to do is to go to Chikwawa with people from as far
as Machinga and other areas to boost his image as a popular figure,
knowing very well that DPP is popular in that area,” said Nicholas
Dausi, DPP publicity secretary.



He said Muluzi knew that the area has strong and capable DPP MPs and people would shun his meeting.



“We have the likes of Sidik Mia, Clement Khembo and others who are very
popular in that area and he is now importing people just to create a
political quagmire but I can assure you his days are numbered,” Dausi
said.



Dausi said what Muluzi was doing was to intimidate the Chilumpha camp with numbers ahead of the UDF April 24 convention.



But Sam Mpasu, who is spokesman of the Chilumpha camp, said Muluzi
would be wasting his time if he were wooing people to his rallies to
intimidate the Vice-President.



“It is common for political parties to ferry people to political
meetings and I don’t think we should connect the two because at the
convention it will be delegates who will vote and not just mere party
supporters,” Mpasu said.



A DDP member from Chikwawa, who identified himself as Samson Nyandoro,
said one of the trucks CK 675 was loaded with supporters from Mangochi
or Machinga judging from their accent.



“There is no way people from this area can support Muluzi. We are tired
of his tactics, we have our own Mose [President Bingu wa Mutharika] and
very powerful MPs here,” said Nyandoro.



He said some people would just go to the rally in the hope of getting handouts.



“Some people have heard that in Blantyre Muluzi gave out some money so
I know others, who are not even UDF supporters, will go there to
benefit,” he said.



But UDF deputy secretary general Hophmally Makande Sunday said there were no vehicles ferrying people to Chikwawa.



“I don’t think that is true, tell me the number plates of the vehicles,” he said before cutting the phone.



Muluzi last week ordered forced closure of Metro shop in Blantyre after he offered to pay for goods people had taken.



He later failed to pay the K21 million bill that came up, arguing that
it was bloated. The two parties are yet to agree on the final bill
after the contention.

DPP hints at tracking down Muluzi

by
MKE CHIPALASA - Saturday, April 05, 2008 - 14:01:36

If it is proven that remarks made by UDF national chairman Bakili
Muluzi labeling president Bingu wa Mutharika as fotseke (stupid) last
weekend constitutes sedition, the former president may land in legal
trouble. Director of public prosecutions (DPP) Wezzie Kayira said on
Tuesday his office has not yet established the exact wording of
MuluziÕs remarks against the head of state, saying he was still waiting
for his "colleagues" to look at what actually happened for him to
decide what to do. Kayira was responding to a question on whether
MuluziÕs remark against the reigning head of state was sedition and
what his office was doing about it. Muluzi labeled president Bingu wa
Mutharika was stupid Fotseke (stupid) for saying Muluzi and MCP
president John Tembo were his sons. The former president said at the
rally in Liwonde, broadcast live on his Joy Radio, MutharikaÕs
reference of him and MCP president John Tembo as his son was derogatory
and impudence, saying he did not believe he was a son of Mutharika and
called the incumbent stupid to that effect. The former president went
further to say Mutharika was "fooling himself" if he believed that
Muluzi was his son. UDF spokesperson Mary Kaphwereza Banda claimed on
Thursday that she did not listen to MuluziÕs speech and referred the
matter to the partyÕs secretariat. But the partyÕs secretary general
Kennedy Makwangwala could not be reached on his mobile phone as it went
unanswered. However, Mutharika at a press conference on Monday a day
after coming from PeopleÕs Republic of China said when he calls people
his sons, he was not being derogatory but was using the word as a form
of language. He has also previously stated that as head of State he
considers himself as a father of every citizen. "As of now there is
nothing happening but when there is something, we will tell you. We are
waiting for our friends to look at what actually was said so that we
analyze things, said Kayira. Asked on whether "our friends" means
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), Kayira laughed and
said: "Yes, our friends like those." He however said during rallies
politicians say anything and sometimes it was good to pretend that you
did not hear them. Kayira said although this is the case, such
politicians need to be told that such statements were not proper. He
did not say how politicians should be told this. A government lawyer
who pleaded anonymity said on Wednesday government could not pick
Muluzi for any charges this time because of the lection, saying people
would see it as a ploy to bar him from contesting. "There is no one now
who can arrest Muluzi after [Gustave] Kaliwo arrested him over the K1.4
billion case. Government is afraid because any move to track down
Muluzi, even when he is the wrong, would be seen as
politically-motivated. Muluzi can say anything now because government
fears the aftermath of his arrest now in view of the coming elections,"
said the lawyer who admitted labeling a sitting president was an act of
sedition. In 2006 the ACB arrested Muluzi over the K1.4 billion case
and appeared before the ACB offices in Blantyre at a time government
was struggling to have the 2006/07 national budget passed. Analysts
described the arrest as ill-timed and president Bingu wa Mutharika
suspended Kaliwo accusing him of lack of "discipline". The president,
however, did not explain what he meant by "discipline". A few months
later, former DPP Ishmael Wadi discontinued MuluziÕs case, a move which
attracted MutharikaÕs ire who eventually asked Wadi during a political
rally in Lilongwe to resign for discontinuing a case without proper
consultations. Lat year government, according to an ACB source at the
time, wanted to Muluzi for a seditious statement he made on September 2
at a rally in Nkhotakota that as far as he was concerned, Malawi did
not have a president. "Government believes MuluziÕs statement in
Nkhotakota was a clear case of sedition. So the arrest for the two
charges would have been carried out together," said the source at the
time. The source further said what Muluzi had propagated was a blatant
disregard of the Supremacy of the Constitution, which protects the
office of the president against any ridicule as a dully elected
officer. Dean of Law School at chancellor college Charles Mhango
confirmed at the time that what the former president uttered was
seditious and if he were to be taken to task, he would get convicted
for it. "According to section 51 (1) of the penal code, this is
sedition, which tries to demean or cause dissatisfaction or hatred or
contempt against the president," said Mhango. He dismissed reports that
MuluziÕs speech was treasonous as section 38 of the penal code says
because it was not intended to overthrow the president. Mhango added
that a case of sedition as uttered by Muluzi was similar to what UDF
gurus Macdonald Symon and Abubakar Mbaya were charged of and tried for.
But when asked whether he was aware the ACB wanted to pick Muluzi over
his statement during the Nkhotakota rally, Sam Mpasu who was UDF
spokesperson then giggled and said: "There is nothing wrong [seditious]
with that. It is just like in a family where a wife would say she is
not married if the husband does not buy essential commodities like salt
and soap." Meanwhile, the ACB has said it is about to conclude probing
MuluziÕs K1.4 billion case. Apart from this case, the ACB is also
probing Muluzi for allegedly bribing opposition MPs through his UDF
national campaign director Clement Stambuli and the partyÕs strategist
Humphreys Mvula, who were allegedly used as conduits to support his
foiled Open and Third Terms bills in parliament in 2002

Pac to fight Muluzi comeback

by
MIKE CHIPALASA - Saturday, April 05, 2008 - 13:42:31

The Public Affairs Committee (Pac), a faith-based organization that
advocates for good governance, says it still maintains that the
Republican Constitution does not allow a former president to bounce
back, saying it is now waiting for the resumption of the James PhiriÕs
case to join it as friends of the court. Pac chairperson Boniface
Tamani said this on Wednesday when asked on the progress his
organization was making in its legal challenge launched last year
against MuluziÕs ambition to return to power. "Pac cannot leave this
case like that. We will take it to the highest level. We have already
expressed our position, through a press statement, and I think nobody
should bounce back for the good of the country, we donÕt believe that
Muluzi can bounce back. "We cannot have one man only ruling this
country as if he is the only intelligent person. We donÕt want to go
back the one party era," said Tamani. James Phiri, a self-acclaimed UDF
presidential hopeful, has sued former president Bakili Muluzi on his
comeback bid, arguing the Republican constitution under section 83 (3)
does not allow him after he already served his maximum two consecutive
terms in office. The section bars former presidents from bouncing back
after serving two five-year consecutive terms, and this view has been
supported by the Special Law Commission which was tasked to review the
constitution in 2005 and whose report is at cabinet level for scrutiny
before it is presented before parliament for ratification. "We will
wait for the case to take off and join it as friends of the court.
Normally, courts ask interested individuals or institutions to join a
case as friends of the court so when that time comes, we will file an
application to be part of it. "We have already formed a legal opinion,
after consulting out lawyers, that the [Republican] constitution does
not allow a former president to bounce back," said Pac chairman
Boniface Tamani in a telephone interview on Wednesday. The Pac chairman
revealed that his organization was an interested party to the case
because its outcome would mean a lot to the future of Malawi and
democracy. Asked on whether the Pac board had met to discuss the matter
especially on when they would be joining the case, Tamani said: "No
decision has been made yet by the board but I would not be surprised if
the board decides to join the case. When we meet again we will discuss
this issue." Phiri, only identified as a businessman, is asking the
court to declare that Muluzi---who is also UDFÕs national chairman---is
not eligible to stand as presidential candidate despite the partyÕs NEC
endorsement, claiming that the decision violates the partyÕs
constitution. "[I pray for an order] that the defendant is not
promoting, ensuring and protecting peopleÕs political rights as
enshrined in section 40 of the constitution by holding that he is
eligible and or that he is going to stand as a presidential candidate
in the 2009 general elections," says Phiri, who is represented by
lawyer Christopher Chiphwanya. Phiri claims MuluziÕs decision to stand
for the UDF has divided the party and that the UDF chairmanÕs campaign
is not welcome "by many members" in the party. "According to UDFÕs
constitution and convention, it is only those persons that qualify to
presidential candidates under the Malawi Constitution that also qualify
to be presidential candidates under the party ticket. "Muluzi served as
president from 1994-2004. Under the [Republican] Constitution he is
disqualified to run for the office [and] since he is disqualified under
the Constitution he is equally disqualified to be UDFÕs presidential
candidate for 2009," argues Phiri. He further argues that the UDF NEC
has supported MuluziÕs stand despite some party members not endorsing
his unilateral move. "Unless restrained by the order of this court,
[Muluzi] will continue campaigning and run for the said post at the
party [party] convention. Last year, Muluzi was reported to have
assembled a team of 24 local and international lawyers to research on
whether the countryÕs laws allowed him to stand again as presidential
candidate in 2009, after serving two consecutive terms in office from
1994-2004. Muluzi was a powerful politician under first Malawi
president Dr Kamuzu Banda, serving in several ministerial and party
positions including being secretary general of the Malawi Congress
Party. He then went into business, but resurfaced to lead the UDF in
1992 as a pressure group to agitate for political pluralism which
culminated into the holding of the national referendum and eventually
democratic elections two years after, in 1994

Muluzi fails to pay shopping bill amid claims his visit has negatively affected business at Metro Stores

Muluzi rejects K21m Metro bill

BY DANIEL NYIRENDA

16:08:37 - 04 April 2008



Former
president Bakili Muluzi is disputing a K21 million bill that Metro Shop
in Blantyre gave him after his lunch hour shopping binge at the
departmental store on Wednesday.



Press Corporation Limited (PCL), owners of the shop, said Thursday they
were conducting an unscheduled stocktaking to find the validity of the
sales following Muluzi’s contention against the K21 million bill.



Ironically, the UDF is looking for a similar amount to hold a convention on April 24 and the party is short of K9 million.

Muluzi’s visit to the shop has led to loss of sales for the entire day,
according to PCL Group Operations Executive Pius Mulipa who responded
to The Daily Times questionnaire Thursday.

“The bill came to plus K21 million. The bill has not been paid yet,
because it is being disputed…on the grounds that there could be errors
occasioned by the congestion and general stampede, which occurred in
the shop,” Mulipa said.

Mulipa said his group was conducting a stocktaking exercise at the shop
so that they could definitively conclude the validity of Thursday’s
sales.



He said the conclusion would be reached today after the stock-take results are out.



The departmental store remained closed since Wednesday following
Muluzi’s decision to pay bills for all other customers he found in the
shop.



It turned out chaotic instead and there was a stampede as some people invaded the shop to benefit from Muluzi’s generosity.



Mulipa said the former president’s visit had negatively affected business at the shop.



“The shop closed all afternoon Thursday, which obviously led to loss of
business. A lot of goods and some equipment were damaged in the
stampede that occurred when people rushed onto the shelves,” Mulipa
said.



He also expressed concern about reports that some ordinary customers
who went shopping and were caught up at the store had some of their
goods forcibly taken away from them.



Senior managers of Metro shops and workers were Thursday engaged in
stocktaking, a development that inconvenienced some shoppers in
Blantyre’s central business district.



Muluzi pledged to pay bills for all other customers he found in the shop and reportedly left an open cheque.



The shop is expected to be re-opened today(Friday).



Some UDF Young Democrats Thursday stood on guard at the entrance,
scaring away unsuspecting journalists who went there to follow up on
the incident.



“Shop titsegula mawa lachisanu. Tikupepesa chifukwa chakutsekaku [We
will open the shop tomorrow. We apologise for this
closure—management],” read a notice placed at the exit gate to the
Metro shop.



UDF Deputy Secretary General Hophmally Makande, who was locked inside
the shop on Wednesday evening after Muluzi’s shopping, declined to say
whether Muluzi had paid his bill for all the shoppers or not.



“Ask Metro,” Makande briefly said.



Muluzi arrived well before noon on Wednesday, and apparently
overwhelmed with the people inside and the goods they picked, he told
them to pick two packets of sugar, two loaves of bread and a bottle of
cooking oil only.



Coincidentally, these are goods that Muluzi uses at his political
rallies to demonstrate his economic understanding that prices of basic
commodities are higher during President Bingu wa Mutharika’s time than
during his 10 year regime.



Muluzi himself bought a few groceries and left an open cheque for the shop to bill him on behalf of the other shoppers.



He is on campaign for re-election as UDF presidential candidate for 2009 polls.



He will face Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha at the party’s convention.



The generosity Wednesday came days after UDF flighted adverts in the
media appealing for more money from well-wishers to top up the budget
for the party’s convention, which is K9 million short.

Malawian president concludes first China tour

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Malawian President
Bingu wa Mutharika left here Sunday night, concluding his first state visit to
China.

Mutharika had held talks with Chinese President Hu
Jintao and met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. The two heads of state reached
extensive consensus on developing a healthy, steady, sincere and friendly
bilateral relationship, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Mutharika also co-chaired the opening ceremony of the
Malawian Embassy in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Besides Beijing, Mutharika also visited Chengdu,
capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Shenzhen, a booming city of in
south China's Guangdong Province, and Shanghai, China's economic hub.

Mutharika started his visit to China on March 24 as
guest of Hu Jintao. This is his first China tour.

China and Malawi established diplomatic relations on
Dec. 28, 2007