Malawi President Mutharika challenges critics to come up with alternatives

President Peter Mutharika replied critics of his economic policies, challenging them to come out with solutions or alternative measures for rebuilding the country, dismissing assertions that Malawi is going in the wrong direction under his leadership.

“There are stories in the paper that Malawi is going in the wrong direction that the DPP government is going in the wrong direction. Is trying to industrialise this country, trying to assist small and medium enterprises, wrong direction?” wondered Mutharika when he addressed a news conference on Thursday evening.

The news conference was organised to brief the media about his trip to Egypt where he attended the Third Tripartite Summit of Heads of state and Government of Comesa, Sadc and EAC and 25th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in South Africa.

But Mutharika took time to react to bad press over critics who include Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) president, Henry Kachaje who has blasted Mutharika of peddling lies on the economic state of the nation.

The Malawi leader, however, shot down the criticism as not merited.

“Is bringing community colleges a wrong direction? Is Malata and cement [subsidy] programme wrong direction? Is implementation of public sector reforms taking a wrong direction? These are things we have been doing. I want to challenge all those who are saying we are going in the wrong direction to tell us the best way,” Mutharika asked.

The Malawi President said his critics will not offer any tangible alternative.

“If all these things are wrong, come forward and say which things are better for this country. I’m afraid to say they will not come up with any alternative. I’m not trying to silence anyone from speaking. Everyone has freedom of speech, so do I,” Mutharika said.

The President also flaunted his administration’s credentials in the way of attracting investors, saying security will be guaranteed.