Mutharika blames UDF, MCP for his failures

Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika on Tuesday attributed his administration’s malfunction to what he called lack of visionary leadership by the former ruling parties MCP and United Democratic Front (UDF).

The President was speaking at Tsabango Primary School in Lilongwe where he elevated 39-year-old Chief Tsabango, real name Patrick Chiwanda, to Senior Chief Tsabango, becoming the first senior chief in Lilongwe.

Making particular reference to the current fuel shortage that has hit the country for the past months, Mutharika told Malawians to break off from blaming his administration because it was not responsible for the woes.

Mutharika: UDF and MCP are to blame for not being visionary

“I want to assure Malawians that come what may, all these problems facing our country will soon come to an end…The issue of fuel shortage, for instance, we are working on it and soon it will normalize,” said the 78-year-old Malawi leader.

He then vilified the two former ruling parties for failing to construct fuel reserves in the country which he said would have ended the problem by now.

“People are busy claiming that the current fuel shortage problem has emanated from the DPP led government that is not true.

“MCP [Malawi Congress Party] ruled this country for 31 years, then came the UDF [United Democratic Front] who were in government for 10 years but there was nobody with a vision to construct the fuel reserves, and for 41 years because of their narrow view they were just staying phwiii,” blurted Mutharika.

He, however, said his government was doing everything possible to ensure that the fuel shortage problem comes to an end.

Mutharika also reminded Malawians what his subordinates have always been singing about constructing six fuel reserves in the country so that even if the country does not import fuel, the reserves would still be able to supply the country with the stuff.

“Very soon we are starting construction of the reserves, experts are already working on it..”

He added: “ We are constructing two tanks in Lilongwe, one for petrol and the other for diesel, we are also constructing two in Mzuzu, one for petrol and the other for diesel the same in Blantyre.”

Under the Mutharika’s rule, Malawi has experienced the worst ever fuel shortage with motorists spending several nights at filling stations to buy the commodity.

The year 2011 has been the worst. Several times business and life, particularly in the major cities, grounded to a halt as the country’s fuel pumps completely run dry of the supplies.

Minibus drivers and tax operators hiked fares with unbelievable margins as most of them had to buy fuel from the black market where a litre of petrol in some cases was hitting a staggering K1 250.

However, government authorities led by the defiant president have always refused to admit their failure to manage the situation and instead they have kept on insisting that things would improve ‘soon” and also maintained that the fuel crisis was not the creation of the ruling DPP.

During his Christmas address to the nation, Mutharika atributed “the works of the devil” to the economic turmoil that has hit the country in the 2011.

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