Mutharika to announce new bloated cabinet: ‘Malawi economy sound to sustain 30 ministers’
New ministers are expected to be announced as President Peter Mutharika freshens his Cabinet – a break away from lean team – in an attempt to convince voters that his administrations has the energy, ideas and talent for government.
Mutharika dissolved Cabinet last week a move political analysts believe is to incorporate Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) partner United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Cabinet ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.
The President has maintained a 20-member Cabinet ever since his campaign pledge in 2014 though he did not campaign on cabinet size in the second term.
It is a campaign pledge he has fulfilled 100% throughout his first five-year first term, even the nine months of his second five-year term even now when the economy has recovered: inflation is at the lowest in decades, bank lending rates have come down by more than 50%, infrastructure development is underway across the country, and public reform to enable economic growth.
Some observers say the economy is a lot better than then and can sustain a 30-member Cabinet.
Mutharika has now assembled a new Cabinet, according to sources at the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC).
Presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said the President will announce a new Cabinet soon.
With the battleground of fresh presidential elections in his rear view mirror Mutharika needs a different type of top team as political commentators have advised to remove “riff ruffs” in the new Cabinet.
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.
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 Constitutional Court last month ordered officials to hold fresh presidential elections within 150 days, but the bills for doing so require Mutharika’s assent, which on Tuesday he refused to ratify.
The proposed amendments requested a more than 50 percent majority to secure a second term — a major sticking point for Mutharika, who was declared winner with just 35.8 percent of the vote.
Without his approval, the draft laws will be returned to the National Assembly.
President Mutharika has filed an appeal against the court’s annulment of the results and refused to fire members of Malawi Electoral Commission, as recommended by parliament.
Malawi’s Supreme Court is expected to rule on Mutharika’s appeal in April.
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As Malawians, we need to Pray hard that God help us from poverty and hunger. Tisamaputsitsidwe ndi ma politicians. Onsewa Mbava zokha zokha. Once in power, they forget all the promises they made to us and start bribery. Makhuluku. Don’t trust them.
Joloza ndiwe wabodza. Joyce Banda ndi Chilima anali chipani chiti? DPP chipani cha afiti ndi a nalikukuti!
UDF must trade carefully on the issue of alliance with DPP. DPP is very crooked. UDF must never make a mistake of rejecting 50%+1 electoral bill when it is presented again in Parliament. Without this 50%+1 provision, it is easy for DPP to dump UDF once they retain power. Trust these crooks at your own peril! Don’t say we did not tell you.
Again UDF should never think that they can wrestle power from DPP as Bingu did in 2005. This can never happen. These guys know what they are doing. They are playing a game of “Ndiwolotse ndikakutafune”. Finish!
Chipani chang’ona ndichimene chimapanga ndiolotse ndikakutafuna chifukwa ndichikhalidwe chake chotafunatafunachi. A Chilima ayembekezere kutafunidwa.
Politics at its best
I wish poloticians and people forget about this bullshit politics and concentrate on the corona pandemic
We are all concentrating on coronaviruses that are mutating fast in Malawi called Nyethwe in local language. They need to be eradicated fast.
Whether bloated cabinet or not, APM will deliver. You people are jealousy because we are eating money. It is our time so just wait for your time as well. Ena akamasangalala ena amalira. Life ndi choncho.
Dead stupid stinking dog
Zako zikutha izo
May by then the word was not well defined in Law dictionary. The Concourt precisely defined it from a Law dictionary so things change with time.
Osayamika ngosayamika basis ngakhale. Ungamukonze bwanji,ndangokuthokozani a nyasatimes povomeleza kuti chuma cha Malawi tsopano chilibwino zomwe zikutitsimikizila kuti enawa akungodana ndi APM kaamba ka nsanjechabe
Hiiih awanso Chuma cha Malawi chilibwino you mean kusowa kwa kwacha kapena kwa mankhwala muzipatala? Maybe you mean kupita kwa achinyamaya ku South Africa akamatumizako Tina Rand ku Malawi ukuona Ngati ndi ambuyalowo aaaaah zazi Mene yavitila kwacha pa Malawi Peter atazitsamira Ngati Bingu pansi pa bed anthu akufa mzipatala no proper medication hunger no money to buy food tchupiti zako
The issue is not about APM having 20 or 30 cabinet members, the problem is he always appoints DPP clowns 🤡
Desperate times requires desperate measures. I hope he won’t leave the young Muluzi with bloody hands. He has a whole future before him. The beauty of democracy is that no matter what tricks you may have to steal remain in power, you never last. I can see someone going six feet under.
Does anyone care about a new cabinet???