Outgoing envoy urges leaders to talk

The outgoing British High Commissioner to Malawi, David Pearey, has urged the country's political leaders to end their differences for the good of the nation. "At the risk of treading in areas of great sensitivity, I have to admit to a concern about the recent turn of political events. Your country, if I might say so, is facing a crisis. I do not just speak of a food crisis, though this is serious enough. I am referring more to a crisis of confidence as a consequence of years of under-achievement," he commented at a farewell function hosted by President Bingu wa Mutharika on Wednesday. Political bickering between Mutharika and his political rival, Bakili Muluzi, former president of the country and now chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF), has been raging since June because of Mutharika's strong stance on corruption. The discord forced Mutharika to leave the UDF after it sponsored him in the national elections, but the UDF hit back with a motion to impeach Mutharika, stalling approval of the national budget in 2005. Pearey joined the donor community in making similar remarks last year, warning that the political crisis could retard development, particularly at a time when the country was facing food shortages. This week he urged Mutharika to initiate dialogue among political leaders. In his New Year's eve address last week, Mutharika said he was ready to talk to the opposition, provided they withdrew the impeachment charges against him. Britain and other donors were willing to help Malawi in its drive to reduce poverty, Pearey said, "but, in facing the challenges, all those with a genuine interest in finding solutions must pull together". The outgoing envoy also cautioned that political dialogue should not be initiated at the expense of Mutharika's fight against corruption. Pearey served in Malawi for a year. Britain is the largest donor to Malawi, whose budget is heavily dependent on donor funding.