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| National |
| PPM promises economic upswing |
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by
Joseph Langa, 28 July 2003
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09:29:31
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People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) party on Saturday pledged to remove the country from what it described as “serious poverty inflicted by the UDF-led government because of its lack of vision and poor economic policies”.
Speaking when he addressed a public rally at Masintha ground in Kawale, Lilongwe, PPM co-chairperson Jimmy Koreia-Mpatsa accused the UDF of formulating economic policies without vision thereby driving the nation into more serious poverty than a decade ago.
The meeting, the first by the party in Lilongwe, was also attended by the party’s adviser, former UDF first vice president Aleke Banda, former UDF MP for Blantyre Kabula Jan Sonke and several officials and MPs from MCP.
Koreia-Mpatsa blamed the UDF for formulating poor agriculture, education, economic and health policies which have put the country among the 10 poorest countries in the world with over 60 percent of its people living below the poverty line.
He cited food insecurity, high levels of unemployment and poor economic fundamentals, insecurity, poor health indicators and high prevalence of HIV/Aids, low standards of education and food insecurity as some of the areas government should have done better.
Koreia-Mpatsa also cited high levels of corruption, abuse of human rights, politics of intimidation and intolerance and high political interference in the police as some of the signs of bad leadership of the Muluzi administration.
“The major problem with the UDF is that they lack economic vision. They have selfish leaders who don’t care about the masses in the village. They hate leaders who have a vision to be part of their team,” said Koreia-Mpatsa.
He said the bloated cabinet of 46, a huge budget allocation to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and the Office of the President are some of the signs of a government which does not care about the rural masses.
Koreia-Mpatsa said once voted into power PPM will strive to improve the economy in the country by strengthening the fight against corruption and reduction of government expenditure by trimming the size of the cabinet and embassies.
He added that his party will improve standards of education, reduce unemployment and improve agricultural production by reducing the price of farm inputs like fertilizer and seed which, he said, are currently not affordable by the majority rural poor. |
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