Mutharika tipped to let go ‘riff ruffs’ as he hires new Malawi cabinet

With the battleground of fresh presidential elections in his rear view mirror President Peter Mutharika  needs a different type of top team as political commentators have advised to  remove “riff ruffs” when hiring a new Cabinet.

Mutharika on Friday fired his entire Cabinet ahead of a possible presidential election in May.

The Constitutional Court last month annulled Mutharika’s victory in the May 2019 presidential election, ordering a re-run within 150 days after opposition parties said there were irregularities in the vote.

Mutharika has appealed the Constitutional Court decision.

But political analysts believe the Cabinet dissolution  is an effort to  assemble a war cabinet with one battle in mind: Fresh elections.

Political commentator Humphreys Mvula  says Mutharika should have a brutal clear out of the ‘riff ruffs’ that were giving the President a bad name and replace them with the people that can endear the President to the people.

“This is the time to remove individuals that make him and DPP look toxic and an opportunity to rebrand. It has dawned on him that the elections are now certain following the Supreme Court ruling,” he said.

He said Mutharika mayincorporate Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) partner United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Cabinet ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.

“The President might wish to reconstitute the Cabinet to incorporate UDF members but at the same time try to put loyalists in Cabinet positions to resolve the party’s infighting,” he said.

Other analysts also say  what Mutharika needs now is a delivery cabinet to turn his election promises into tangible policy.

“He needs to make a campaign cabinet,” said Henry Chingaipe, a political analyst with local thinktank the Institute for Policy Research and Social Empowerment.

The unexpected dissolution of cabinet was announced in a statement by government chief secretary Lloyd Muhara.

Until the appointment of a new cabinet, all ministerial powers, functions and responsibilities will be exercised by the president.