|
|
|
|
| National |
| Bingu, Muluzi, Tembo have agreed to meet—Pac |
|
by
Olivia Kumwenda, 05 July 2005
-
13:38:02
|
The Public Affairs Committee (Pac) has said government, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) have agreed to meet for reconciliation talks to resolve the current political mess.
Pac chairperson Father Boniface Tamani said on Monday the team, which is representing Pac in the talks has so far approached President Bingu wa Mutharika, leader of MCP John Tembo and UDF’s chairperson Bakili Muluzi and they have all welcomed the development.
“So far, so good. All the leaders have given very good responses, they are very open, willing to sit down and dialogue to solve the differences they have. And I think we have to congratulate them for that,” said Tamani.
He added that after getting a positive response from the leaders the next step would be for Pac to meet and map up the way forward.
“We have to sit down probably today and discuss the way forward. What strategy are we going to use, are we going to bring all the leaders together to discuss or not,” explained Tamani.
Pac’s plan to hold reconciliation talks started about three months ago but UDF snubbed the offer, accusing the religious body of bias towards Mutharika and his government.
Over the weekend, Tembo was quoted in the Weekend Nation as saying the key to resolving the current problem is for government to expedite the election case at the High Court while UDF spokesman Sam Mpasu was also quoted in the same paper as saying the way forward would be for government to call for elections.
Mpasu yesterday confirmed that Pac approached the party’s chairman who has agreed to be part of the talks.
“We have always wanted to talk to government, we sent a delegation to Lilongwe and they were sent back, we were even accused of plotting to assassinate the President, but we went for talks,” said Mpasu.
Asked on the party’s position on whether it would go on demanding for fresh elections when it is willing to be part of the talks, Mpasu said the party would decide on that when it is told the agenda of the talks.
MCP’s deputy publicity secretary Bintony Kutsaira said his party would not shed more light on the issue, saying the talks should not be for public consumption.
Government spokesperson Ken Lipenga said he was not there when Pac met the President but said government has also always supported the idea of dialogue.
“We have always thought that dialogue is a good thing. We need to find a common ground. After all we are all serving the same people and it is the people who want us to dialogue,” said Lipenga.
Political problems in the country started when Mutharika ditched UDF, a party that sponsored him to presidency and formed his own DPP.
Parliament, which UDF and MCP command, rejected the President’s state-of-the-nation address two weeks ago.
The last straw was when UDF MP Lucius Banda tabled a motion to put in place procedures to impeach a president in Parliament. It led to the collapse of the Speaker of Parliament Rodwell Munyenyembe who later died at Milpark Hospital in South Africa.
He was buried on Saturday.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
