Bingu orders advisors to step down

Mutharika: Dressed down Ntaba

President Ngwazi Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered four of his special advisors who are gunning for parliamentary seats in their respective constituencies to immediately step down so that they can contest in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primaries this month. 

Senior political advisor Francis Mphepo, advisor on national unity Nicholas Dausi and advisor on religious affairs Malani Mtonga recently participated in controversial and disputed primaries against deputy information minister John Bande, minister of labour Davis Katsonga, and deputy gender minister Papano Mwafulirwa in Mwanza Central, Blantyre City East and Karonga South constituencies, respectively.

Primaries in these constituencies were called off to iron out disputes of alleged rigging by ministers in Karonga South and Mwanza Central and by Mphepo in Blantyre City East. 

But in a new twist to the controversy, State House sources in Lilongwe have revealed President Mutharika, well-known as a maverick, summoned the advisors, including Chief political advisor Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba, a day before he left for the UN aid summit in Doha, Qatar and declared that he would not allow them to participate in the primary re-run before they resigned as advisors.

Apparently, according to the sources, Mutharika favours the cabinet ministers.

“Yes, there is a government directive that all aspiring MPs who are civil servants have to resign from public service to pursue the political ambitions, but this is an isolated case as the advisors are more of politicians than civil servants.

“The president fears that a continued tussle between the concerned advisors and cabinet ministers would jeopardize DPP’s chances of winning next year,” the sources said. 

Meanwhile, at that meeting President Mutharika is reported to have reprimanded Ntaba for what he said was his underperformance in his DPP duties, accusing him of abdicating his role in the party to concentrate on his personal ambitions to reclaim Lilongwe South-east. 

“The President was angry with Ntaba. It seems he fell short of telling him that that’s why he was removed as DPP Secretary General. The President actually declared Ntaba would not win in his constituency,” government insiders said. 

DPP Secretary General Henry Chimunthu Banda said Mutharika is the head of the party and could therefore summon any member of the party on any issue.

He, however, refused to be drawn into this matter, saying he is not aware of such a meeting.