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| National |
| Tembo ready for GNU talks |
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by
Joseph Langa, 04 February 2006
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04:35:15
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Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo has said he is ready to discuss the possibility of forming a Government of National Unity (GNU) if the nation feels that will solve the current political impasse. But Tembo said he has so far not been approached by anyone on the matter.
Tembo said if the nation feels the GNU would solve the political problems in the country, “I will be part of it”.
He was responding to claims by sources close to him that President Bingu wa Mutharika approached the MCP leader and has been meeting individual MCP MPs to support the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Parliament.
The sources said Mutharika and DPP want support from MCP MPs to change the Constitution to give the President powers to remove Vice President Cassim Chilumpha a move that would pave way for Mutharika to appoint Tembo as First Vice President.
Tembo confirmed his MPs were approached by Mutharika and some DPP officials to support the party in Parliament, a development he condemned and said was not happy with. He claimed all the MPs who were approached refused the offer and reported the matter to him. But he denied he was approached by the President or any of his officials on the matter.
“I am very concerned about that because it is wrong,” said Tembo who refused to mention the names of the MPs but said they are many of them. He claimed all the MPs who were approached refused to be game.
The MCP leader said he will not allow one-to-one negotiations with his MPs in the interest of transparency.
Tembo said he is concerned with Mutharika’s move especially after the President failed to attend a recent meeting organized by officials from London for him, the President and UDF chair Bakili Muluzi to find a solution to the political problems in the country.
“The UDF national chairman attended, I attended but the President did not attend. This is worrisome,” said Tembo.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu said it was not the first time the President has reached out to Tembo on a similar issue but he said he was surprised because there is already a GNU comprising UDF, MCP and DPP.
“It all depends on the definition of GNU. What he has now is already a government of national unity. There are ministers from UDF, MCP and DPP,” said Mpasu.
Mpasu said the party was not worried about DPP’s move but said what the President was doing will create political instability in the country adding that MCP and DPP cannot form the required two thirds majority in Parliament to change the law.
DPP spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba denied his party is wooing MPs to support them to remove Chilumpha saying the MPs join them because they see a future in DPP.
“That’s a complete fabrication. We are not in the business of buying MPs. These MPs are not cheap MPs. These are MPs who have seen what is in their parties and what is in the DPP.”
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