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| National |
| MCP threatens to shoot down budget |
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by
Zainah Liwanda and Willie Zingani, 07 June 2006
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06:34:36
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Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has threatened to shoot down this year’s budget should government go ahead implementing the Targeted Input Programme (TIP) as stated by President Bingu wa Mutharika in his budget session opening speech in the capital Lilongwe Tuesday.
In his 30-minute address, Mutharika said government would, among other things, continue with the targeted fertiliser subsidy programme during the next farming season and ensure that the poor and the needy are empowered to grow more food.
Leader of opposition in Parliament, who is also MCP president John Tembo, reacting to the speech, said his party’s stance is that government should implement the universal fertiliser subsidy, warning that if it insists on coupons, the MCP will torpedo the budget.
“There should be no coupons this coming year. If they insist on that, we are out. We cannot be beaten in a country after Parliament has made a decision. It’s wrong, it’s unconstitutional, it’s illegal,” said Tembo.
Asked whether the MCP has numbers in Parliament considering that Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has wooed a lot of opposition MPs, including those from his party, the veteran politician said: “We will see in Parliament if they have enough numbers.”
Tembo described Mutharika’s speech as “empty,” with “nothing new,” save for what he said were little summaries on the priorities.
Mutharika set agriculture and food security, irrigation and water development, transport and communications infrastructure, energy and integrated rural development as government’s five top priorities, pointing out that other sectors have not been ignored
“This August House will agree with me that I am not making an empty statement. There have been serious thoughts and consultations to identify these top priorities.
“Moreover, these priorities are pragmatic, realistic and ideal for real transformation of our economy from poverty and stagnation to vibrancy and prosperity,” he said.
Mutharika told the House that government’s focus in the coming financial year will be to achieve a faster and sustainable rate of economic growth with agriculture and food security, irrigation and water development, transport and communications infrastructure, energy and integrated rural development as main priority areas.
The President said although the country estimates to harvest 2.3 million metric tonnes of maize, government will ensure that relief food assistance is made available to the people affected by floods in Kasungu, Mzimba, Phalombe and other districts.
He also said construction of the controversial Karonga-Chitipa Road has started as promised during the ground-breaking ceremony last year.
On the Shire-Zambezi Waterway Project, Mutharika said government has identified funds for a feasibility study and that work would commence, adding that the Mozambican government has pledged its support for the venture that is expected to reduce Malawi’s import and export transportation costs by at least 60 percent.
Commenting on Mutharika’s call for the opposition and government MPs to rise above party politics and focus on eradicating poverty, Tembo said his party was always willing to reconcile with government.
He said this was reason he, together with other members of his party, travelled to South Africa for mediation talks only to be frustrated with Mutharika’s absence.
Quizzed on reports that his party intends to shoot down the budget because it was not happy with the way Mutharika wooed its MPs Bintony Kutsaira, now Deputy Agriculture Minister, and Ted Kalebe, Deputy Finance Minister, Tembo fired back with a question: “Do you expect us to be happy?”
“You do not shoot down a budget because of individuals, two for that matter. Who are they, after all?” asked Tembo.
Leader of UDF in the House George Nga Mtafu described Mutharika’s speech as the shortest budget statement he has ever heard, adding that the speech offered “nothing new.”
Mtafu said there was neither quality nor quantity in the President’s speech. He said Mutharika did not tell the nation how he intends to achieve the set priorities; for example, how the projects would be funded.
Commenting on the call to rise above party politics, Mtafu, whose party sponsored Mutharika to the presidency, said the President always sings about reconciliation but his actions do not reflect his words.
People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) President Aleke Banda said he needed time to examine what Mutharika said during his second anniversary and the State of the Nation address to comment appropriately.
“It was a short speech. He said most of the things were outlined in the State of the Nation address and also his recent statement on clocking two years, so one has to look at this short summary in relation to those statements. But obviously, there is a lot one can comment on,” said Banda.
There was ululation and jubilation from the government side after Mutharika completed delivering his speech, but the opposition kept quiet.
Only two opposition MPs, Yunus Mussa, Zomba Central (UDF), and Folger Nyirongo, Mzimba Luwelezi (PPM), joined the government side to stand up for Mutharika after completing his speech.
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