DPP tells Malawi President Banda to stop her ‘misconduct’
Malawian President Joyce Banda has been urged to desist from blame game instead focus on rebuilding the country’s frail economy.
The former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says it fails to understand why President Banda instead of finding solutions to the problems facing the country is busy pointing fingers at it.
In its New Year’s message, the DPP is calling upon President Banda to stop the “misconduct” and get down to work.
“The Democratic Progressive Party fails to understand why President Joyce Banda always points fingers at the DPP as being responsible for the economic mess her government is failing to fix nine months after assuming power,” says the statement signed by the party’s acting Secretary General, Dr Allan Chiyembekeza.
It adds: “We, therefore, ask our ‘God fearing’ President to desist from such a misconduct and get back to work because by April 2013 Malawians will judge her by what she has done to cushion the poor from the effects of devaluation and how many viable projects she has initiated.”
The party further views as unfortunate Banda’s continuous labeling of late Bingu wa Mutharika as a thief who plundered government coffers when he cannot respond to the allegation.
Since taking over the presidency, Banda has always reminded Malawians of the previous regime’s failures and her efforts to correct them.
“On April 7, I found nothing in government coffers, they finished everything, and therefore, I had to bring back the donors who stopped giving us money. We had no forex and fuel because donors stopped giving us money,” Banda ranted in Zomba during a recent rally organised to distribute relief maize flour.
But the DPP, in its message, reminds President Banda that Malawians are now clever that they cannot be swayed by mere political propaganda.
“Their weapon of mass destruction is the power to vote for leaders of their choice in an election,” stresses the DPP.
The party recalls that when President Banda took over government in April, Malawians expected milk and honey as per her promises when she was in opposition.
“The hurried devaluation of the Kwacha by 49 percent followed by day to day inflation which is now around 40 percent has caused a lot of misery to Malawians.
“Eight months down the line, fuel queues are back in town, forex shortage has hit our banks again. The Fuel Automatic Pricing Mechanism which the Joyce Banda administration is now implementing has seen fuel prices jumping from a mere K160 per litre to over K600 now, heaping more misery to Malawians as every time fuel prices rise, electricity tariffs go up.
“Furthermore, businessmen reciprocate by increasing prices of basic commodities such
as sugar, soap and salt just to mention a few. All this is against meager salaries an employer including government continues to offer to the employees,” observes DPP in its statement.
Bingu’s tribute
However, the former ruling party pays tribute to its fallen leader describing him as a visionary leader.
“The year 2012 shall remain the memorable year in the history of the DPP as the party accepts with a heavy heart the untimely death of its founding President Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika.
“We, however, take solace in that eight months after his death, Malawians both in Diaspora and locally have realized that the nation lost a visionary leader who had put the people’s welfare at heart,” it says.
The party says Mutharika’s vision is evidenced by the numerous infrastructural development projects across the country which, among others, include the Karonga-Chitipa road, Parliament building, the Bingu Conference centre and Five star hotel, the Balaka Cotton Ginnery, the Malawi University of Science and Technology, the National Stadium and the Vale Railway line as some of his achievements.
On food security, DPP observes that during Mutharika’s eight years rule, he transformed the nation from a perennial food beggar to a food donor through the farm input subsidy programme that also ensured food sufficiency at both household and national level.
“As an economist the late Bingu also turned around the country’s economy which earned Malawi recognition as the second largest growing economy from Qatar,” it adds.
However, DPP admits that its eight-year reign was not without challenges.
It recalls that the country experienced its worst economic challenges between 2011 and 2012 due to shortage of fuel and forex.
The opposition party was formed by late Mutharika in 2005 after falling out with the then ruling United Democratic Front (UDF). The DPP ruled the country for seven years (2005 to April 2012).
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