UDF willing to smoke peace pipe with provisos

Malawian President Bingu wa Muthrika's main rival, the United Democratic Front (UDF), has said it is willing to take up his offer to break the political impasse in the country provided he works on improving relations with parliament. In his New Year's eve address last week, Mutharika said he was ready to talk to the opposition provided "they withdraw the impeachment charges against me", which followed the president's anti-corruption campaign that netted former ruling party members. However, according to Sam Mpasu, a spokesman for the UDF, "The condition is misplaced because there is no political party that wants to impeach the president. It is parliament that wants to impeach him and if anything he needs a better working relationship with parliament." Mutharika has been fighting for his political survival since June 2005, when he left the UDF after it had sponsored him in the national elections and formed his own political party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The UDF hit back with the impeachment charge, accusing Mutharika of using US $300,000 of public money to launch the DPP. Political bickering even derailed approval of the country's budget in June 2005. In an unprecedented move, the donor community stepped in to appeal for peace and urged the parties to focus on the food crisis in the country, affecting 4.7 million Malawians. Mediation efforts outside Malawi have also been underway. Two weeks ago John Tembo, the leader of the largest opposition party, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), and UDF chairman Bakili Muluzi, returned from a meeting initiated by the Global Leadership Foundation, an NGO based in South Africa. According to news reports, the two leaders were asked to choose between early elections or joining a government of national unity to end the political crisis. Both parties have refused to divulge details of the meeting. Mpasu was dismissive of the conditions when contacted by IRIN, saying Mutharika's government "has cabinet ministers from the UDF, MCP, Republican Party [RP], MGODE [Movement for Genuine Democracy] and PPM [Progressive People's Movement]. Early elections are not provided for in our constitution, and this is not possible unless the constitution is amended". Political analyst Boniface Dulani ruled out the possibility of a peace pact between the opposition and Mutharika. "The opposition and the government cannot work together, and the proposed options cannot work. What the opposition can do is to wait for the 2009 general elections." Rafiq Hajat, executive director of the Institute for Policy Interaction, said elections were an expensive option. "At the moment people have no food to eat, and this is what politicians should be concerned about other than elections."