Peter Mutharika congratulates President Joyce Banda
Newly nominated acting President of Malawi’s former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Peter Mutharika has congratulated President Joyce Banda for ascending to the country’s highest office.
President Banda was sworn in as Malawi’s president on Saturday following the death of former President Bingu wa Mutharika on Thursday at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Ina message sent to the President through DPP Secretary General Wakuda Kamanga, the former president’s brother who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs said he wished the President well as she leads the country.
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Kamanga also said the young Mutharika was also “ready to offer his support to the new president and government in any way he is requested to.”
“Honourable Peter Mutharika has asked me to relay this message to the President and he says he is ready to offer his support and work with Her Excellency President Joyce Banda in her efforts to develop the country,” said Kamanga who will start new life in the opposition camp.
Following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, the party has appointed the young Mutharika as its new president despite the fact the party already had three vice president-Goodal Gondwe, Minister of Energy, Jean Kalilani, Minister of Health and Lands Minister Yunus Mussa who was among the first DPP top officials to announce that he would work with Joyce Banda.
However, in his lame defense, Kamanga said the move was reached at immediately after the late President Mutharika was taken ill on Thursday morning.
The young Mutharika, a professor of law, must anticipate a tough time as many of his party’s parliamentarians have started abandoning it and flocking to People’s Party (PP) of Joyce Banda.
Last week, Kamanga told the nation the DPP was comfortable with Mutharika as the party’s 2014 torch bearer and the issue of convention was not really on top of the agenda.
