Mia to represent Chakwera at Magufuli inauguration

President Lazarus Chakwera has delegated Transport and Public Works minister Sidik Mia to represent the country at the inauguration of President John Magufuli of Tanzania on Thursday.

Mia is accompanied by Minister of Information Gospel Kazako.

University of Livingstonia political analyst George Phiri insisted that Chakwera should have delegated veep Chilima as the event was important to Malawians.

Phiri said, bearing in mind that Chakwera recently paid a visit to Tanzania, it would have made more sense if he or the vice were to go there.

“If they will just attend the event, then there is no problem. But if there will be some talks, then the President or the Vice could make decisions and not the ministers. So, I still think it is not necessary for the two ministers to go there at the expense of the President or his Vice,” Phiri said.

Magufuli won a controversial second term of office in an election the opposition say was highly rigged.

Tanzania sent a vice president during the inauguration of President Chakwera.

Magufuli, of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi party, had won 12.5m votes out of a total 15m votes. They said his main challenger, Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party, had secured 1.9m votes.

CCM party — a version of which has held power since independence from Britain in 1961 — was also on track for a parliamentary landslide and his candidate was declared the winner in the semi-autonomous Zanzibar region that has a history of contested votes.

Last week’s election was marred by opposition allegations that the vote was not free and fair following complaints of a crackdown.

“Democratic change is not possible in Tanzania under the current political and constitutional conditions,” Lissu said, adding he was calling for fresh elections.

He has called on the African Union observer mission in Tanzania headed by Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria, “not to endorse the results of this sham” following internet and mobile phone blackouts.

Members of the electoral commission dismissed the allegations of fraud.

The US embassy in Dar es Salaam said that while the vote went peacefully, there were credible allegations of significant election-related fraud and intimidation.

Magufuli, known as the Bulldozer, was first elected in 2015 on a promise to tackle corruption, but has faced widespread criticism for clamping down on his critics.

Meanwhile, with Mia going to Magufuli inaguartion the ministry of Transport and Public Works has cancelled a meeting with Fuel Tankers Operators Association on Wednesday which the minister was supposed to chair.

The association members want the government to intervene for better contract pay outs.