Mutharika must stop shifting blame – MCP

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has asked President Peter Mutharika to stop shifting blame and take responsibility over regarding his two-week trip to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, US criticised for blowing over K300m on bloated entourage.

Mutharika during a news conference in Lilongwe last Thursday accused MCP of misleading people about the trip and asked the party to apologise.

He also said during one-party MCP state, founding president late Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda was hiring a plane with big delegation for Europe tours.

But MCP secretary general Gustav Kaliwo said Mutharika should stop scapegoating on the matter with comparison of one party state and current multiparty scenario.

“The economy during Kamuzu time was not bleeding as it is today,” said Kaliwo.

He said judging MCP on the standards of 1964 to today is unacceptable.

“Was Malawi as a nation suffering the kind of economic hardships that are suffering now? How many planes did Malawi have that time and what do we have now?” wondered Kaliwo.

He added: “Mutharika should face up to reality and stop this kind of shifting blame.”

Special advisor to the President on non-governmental organisations and civil society, Mavuto Bamusi, has also attacked MCP, saying it is making noise on the trip because it wants to gain political mileage.

MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila has however said it is obvious that Mutharika is not fit for presidency and there is nothing like MCP is trying to gain political mileage.

She said Mutharika has shown he is not a listening President and is insensitive to their sufferings.