Political crisis may jeopardise assistance, UK High Commissioner

The ongoing political crisis in Malawi has distracted government and caused parliament to lose focus amid a hunger crisis threatening more than four million people, and could also jeopardise foreign development assistance, according to British High Commissioner to Malawi David Pearey. Political bickering between President Bingu wa Mutharika and his political rival, former president of the country and now chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Bakili Muluzi, has been raging since June, when the UDF proposed an impeachment motion because Mutharika had left the party after it sponsored him in the national elections. Mutharika formed his own political organisation, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), consigning the UDF to the role of an opposition party. Pearey said the political crisis could retard the country's development and warned politicians against placing personal ambition ahead of the concerns of ordinary Malawians. "In my view this is not the moment for exchanging public insults. Rather, this is the moment for all right-thinking Malawians with an eye to the future success of the country to join in a collective effort; this is the moment for an open debate, without recriminations, on the current problems and how to address them; this is the moment for dialogue rather than confrontation; this is the moment for a united vision to take precedence over short-term party advantage," Pearey declared. The government was being distracted by the ongoing political wrangling at a time when the country faced serious challenges, with the widespread food shortages affecting large parts of the country chief among them. "Parliament loses focus, and the people lose interest and possibly hope. Moreover - and this is where I feel I have some responsibility to speak out - in a turbulent political environment the donors could find it increasingly difficult to play the part they want," Pearey warned. He said in any situation where the political and governmental process "becomes dysfunctional, the channels for directing assistance to those most in need weaken". He urged politicians to set aside their differences and work for the common good of the country. Meanwhile, a newly launched Centre for Multiparty Democracy aims to improve dialogue and interaction between political parties and institutions to strengthen democracy in Malawi. According to chairman Binton Kutsaira, a Malawi Congress Party MP, the centre will also provide political parties with capacity building resources to enable them to implement programmes supporting democracy. However, membership of the centre is only open to parties represented in the national assembly, which means Mutharika's DPP would not be allowed to join. Nixon Khembo, a political science lecturer at Chancellor College, told IRIN the establishment of the centre was a positive development, given recent events, but "since the members are the parties themselves, I do not see it being a success ... the centre should have been run by an independent body". He felt the current set-up was "naïve" and unlikely to bear fruit. A senior lecturer in political science and administration at Chancellor College, Mustafa Hussein, told IRIN that "unless there is political will [to resolve the crisis] from our leaders, this centre will be of no use". Following a mass rally on Monday, Mutharika was accused of inciting political violence when he asked the crowd, "Are you going to sit idle while opposition are calling for impeachment?" Opposition political parties reacted angrily to this, and the UDF has vowed to press ahead with the impeachment when parliament assembles next Monday.