Donors wait for results in anti-corruption drive

The European Union (EU) has welcomed a commitment to fight corruption made this week by Malawi's new president, Bingu wa Mutharika, but stressed the need for action ahead of talks on fresh aid funding. "The EU is looking to see whether what Mutharika is saying is going to be put into action," EU information officer Charles Undulu told IRIN on Wednesday. Key Western donors suspended aid to Malawi under Mutharika's predecessor, Bakili Muluzi, in protest over the levels of graft and mismanagement. "Mutharika knows why donors cut aid to Malawi, and what he is doing is to try and clean his government of corruption," said Undulu. He added that EU funding programmes ended in February this year, and there would be meetings with the government "sometime in September or October for another possibility of funding". In a hard-hitting address to parliament on Monday, Mutharika served a warning to corrupt officials. "My government is determined to fight corruption in Malawi; corruption is a cancer and hinders economic development. I have decided that action speaks louder than words - from now on, it will be action, action, action and more action," he said, winning applause from the lawmakers. Reacting to the speech, analyst Rafiq Hajat said he welcomed Mutharika's commitment to battle graft, but added that the president should have led by example and been the "first to declare his assets", as stipulated in the constitution, a provision rarely observed by Malawian politicians. Four months after Malawi's general elections, only one MP has reportedly so far complied. Mutharika's tough speech follows a growing political storm over investigations into the loss of an estimated MK10 billion (US $97 million) from state coffers during the 10 years of Muluzi's rule. The inquiries have focused on some of the former president's closest colleagues. New Attorney-General Ralph Kasambara said that Muluzi, who remains head of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), would not be immune from prosecution if "indeed he is found to have abused his office through corruption". Director of Public Prosecutions, Ishmael Wadi, last week denied there was a witch-hunt against Muluzi supporters within the UDF, but said he would charge any former minister linked to malfeasance.