Leader of opposition says govt must be open on Malawi President’s US prolonged stay

Leader of Opposition in parliament Lazarus Chakwera has said the government should be open and transparent on President Peter Mutharika’s prolonged stay in the US.

“This is where the Access to Information law is needed. Malawians would have known where exactly the President is and what he is doing,” said Chakwera, who is also president of the main opposition, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

The government has been secretive on the whereabouts of Mutharika after he attended the UN general assembly which run from September 19 to 23.

There strong indications that he has proceeded on leave.

However presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani says Mutharika is still in the US on official duties whist Foreign Affairs minister Francis Katsaira and Information minister Maliseni Ndau are coy to comment.

Chakwera said the Access to Information law would have compelled both Katsaira and Ndau to disclose where Mutharika is and what he is doing as well as when he is expected back in Malawi.

On the IMF observations, Chakwera said it was laughable that the government had to wait for the IMF team to come all the way from the United State  to tell the government officals they were overspending.

“The government was supposed to be making its own assessments to check on expenditure. They should not wait for the IMF to come and tell them,” he said

. He said the opposition had for sometime noted that the government was overspending.

The IMF said if the government continues to overspend, the economy will completely collapse