Angry opposition asks donors to keep out of internal politics

Malawi's opposition have asked donors to keep out of their country's "internal matters" following a letter from foreign envoys criticising an attempt to impeach President Bingu wa Mutharika. In a remarkable development on Thursday the donor community, including South Africa, wrote to Malawian political leaders voicing their concern with the impeachment proceedings when the country was experiencing a "serious and prolonged food crisis". Some members of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have described the donors' statement as "unfortunate". Speaking during a phone-in programme on a local radio station, a former UDF MP, Phillip Bwanali, commented, "Donors must not dictate to us on what to do - Malawi is a sovereign state, and what is happening here is an internal matter and does not involve the donors." Thursday's letter, also endorsed by the US, the European Union and the British, Norwegian and French governments, is the third intervention by the donor community in response to the expanding political crisis in Malawi. Political bickering between Mutharika and his political rival, Bakili Muluzi, former president of the country and now chairman of the UDF, has been raging since June, when Mutharika left the party after it sponsored him in the 2004 general elections. Mutharika formed his own political organisation, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The UDF hit back with the impeachment charge, accusing Mutharika of using US $300,000 in public money to launch the DPP. The motion delayed approval of the country's budget, causing concern in the donor and humanitarian community. In mid-October, British High Commissioner David Pearey said the political crisis could retard the country's development, and warned politicians against putting personal ambition ahead of the concerns of ordinary Malawians. Critical donors have warned that a government coming to power after a "hasty and less than transparent constitutional process would be less likely to command the respect and support of the international community, and could mar the image of the country abroad." Opposition MPs have proposed that a National Governing Council (NGC), headed by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo, run the country for six months in the event of Mutharika's impeachment. However, donors have commented that, "given the uncertain and transitory nature" of the proposed NGC, "we cannot be certain of being able to build a satisfactory relationship with such a body". A member of the diplomatic community added that the letter should not be read as a possible threat to continued donor funding. Donor community opinion is vital to the country's economy. Political analyst Boniface Dulani pointed out that although Malawi was a sovereign state, "financially, it is fair to say the donors do run matters, since they contribute a big chunk of the national budget". Donors financed 83 percent of Malawi's 2004/05 development budget. The impeachment motion, backed by the UDF, the MCP, the Alliance for Democracy and some MPs from the Republican Party, has deeply divided the country, with demonstrations for and against taking place every day. Mutharika was saved from impeachment by parliament on Thursday after a constitutional court order blocked the move, saying it needed to review the procedures for impeaching the president. Malawi's constitution provides for the impeachment of a sitting president but does not say how this should be accomplished. The opposition wants a two-thirds majority vote by the current 193-seat parliament to impeach a sitting president. The two largest opposition parties in parliament - the MCP and the UDF - already have the 124 votes between them if the constitutional court ruling is overturned. Adding further fuel to an already smouldering situation, agents of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigating Muluzi's alleged misuse of $11.4 million in donor aid, raided houses belonging to Muluzi in the capital, Lilongwe, the second city, Blantyre, and his home village of Kapoloma in the Southern province. UDF deputy publicity secretary Mary Kaphwereza-Banda told IRIN, "In our view, we think that government wants to harass Dr Muluzi - this is persecution at its best." Dulani said it was not "surprising" that the donors were "wary" of the impeachment. "The leaders that are likely to benefit are the same leaders accused of corruption and mismaganegement in the past...[because of which] donor aid was suspended to Malawi until recently." Western donors froze balance of payments support to Malawi over corruption and governance concerns during Muluzi's 10-year tenure.