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Vice President Justin Malewezi said on Friday he has resigned from the ruling UDF, the party he has served for over 10 years, because the direction the party took in the past two years made it difficult for him to serve with clear conscience.
Asked why he resigned in an interview at his private home in Likuni, Lilongwe, Malewezi said: “I could not discharge my duties properly, with clear conscience. Therefore, it was the right thing to do [so] that I should not be dishonest to my country and the party.”
He could not disclose what was wrong with the UDF in the past two years but indicated that the party compromised on respect for its senior members.
“The party, I think, started stalling about two years ago when there were some rather unfortunate influences and meetings which were aired,” said Malewezi. “You could see that there was a difference in the respect that was there for fellow senior people. The respect had started to be compromised and, although efforts were made to change, the trend did not improve.”
Party supporters who championed open and third term bids for Muluzi used to justify their decision by undermining other senior party members, describing them as madeya (chaff), incapable of discharging the duties of a president.
Asked if the decision to resign could have partly been influenced by health considerations, Malewezi, who has had a kidney problem while serving in government, described his health as “excellent”.
Said Malewezi: “It is not a medical reason. I go to Germany for my medical checkup and my medical checkup this year was excellent. I am not ill or anything. I am probably much fitter than most people I have been working together with. I exercise quite regularly and do not have any illness to do with kidneys. I am cured of that problem.”
Looking back to the years he served in UDF, Malewezi described the formative years as “very exciting” saying, “we were working together, we were close to each other and consulted very closely and we had very competent people, some of them have since passed way.”
He also described the first UDF term in government as “very successful”, saying many programmes were introduced “despite experiencing teething problems”.
But Malewezi said although the second term started off reasonably well, the ending was not good. “We lost a number very good ministers through deaths. There were some more inexperienced people coming in and for them to carry on with the same momentum, that was broken slightly, ” he said.
Added Malewezi: “I leave the party with mixed feelings. I wish I could have been there to continue the good foundation that was laid in the first administration but for these personal reasons, I feel that this had to be left to other people who may try to improve the performance of the party.
“I do no want to give the impression that just because I have left the UDF, I am going to trash the party. And any attempt to make me throw mud at the UDF will not be allowed. I have been part of the system and have contributed to its successes and probably its failures. This is just the time that my contribution has to come to an end.”
But Malewezi said UDF needs to set up systems and regulations to guide its operations and ensure that it is not personalised.
“I come from a management background and I emphasise setting up a system for management so that whoever comes in things should continue to work, so that you are not so much dependent on an individual person,” he said.
“Setting up systems is much more sustainable and this is what needs to be done, not only by UDF but any organisation particularly in political parties.”
Malewezi said he did not discuss his intention to resign with President Bakili Muluzi who, by yesterday, had not reacted to his resignation directly.
“Probably the replacement of my portfolio as minister responsible for privatization could be seen as a reaction,” said Malewezi, referring to the appointment of presidential running mate Cassim Chilumpha as Minister responsible for Privatisation.
Commenting on stories that his relationship with Muluzi soured to the extent that they were not on talking terms, Malewezi, laughing, said: “How do they know we were not talking? The relationship between the president and the vice president is that of trust and confidence. I can’t say whether we have been discussing this and that but I have been attending the national functions, cabinet, the national executive and I chaired a caucus recently for Parliament. I have been working normally as vice president.”
Malewezi also denied speculations in the media that he has resigned now to join the coalition of opposition parties.
“If I had decided at any other time there would have been other reasons for that time. Any time there would have been speculation around it. This was the time that I thought it should happen. There were other occasions previously that I had considered, but for one or two reasons, those failed. But it so happened that January 1 was a good day.”
He confirmed being part of a group of senior UDF members who had sought an audience with Muluzi ahead of a meeting that chose Economic Planning Minister Bingu Mutharika and now Privatisation Minister Cassim Chilumpha as running mate.
“Hon. Aleke Banda’s statement after he left the party cleared the air. It was myself, Hon. Sam Mpasu, Hon. Aleke Banda and Hon. Thomson. The reason for those names is that we were the most senior party members from the beginning who were left. It was not as if it was a conspirators’ group. These were senior people.
“The main issue we planned to discuss was to agree on the procedure of that meeting. We were not looking at any names. We were not objecting to Hon Mutharika or any other name. It was just a matter of procedure,” said Malewezi.
Asked if he ever harboured ambitions to succeed Muluzi, Malewezi answered that it is the party, and not an individual who must choose the leader.
“Succession issue is decided by the party,” he said. “If the party wanted me to serve as it did by making me running mate, it would have been considered at that time. It is not right for somebody to impose himself on a leadership position. I do not know my weaknesses as much as other people do. I may think I am a great person when other people think differently. That is how my career has been.”
Asked to comment on whether or not Mutharika was imposed on UDF, Malewezi declined to answer but repeated his position that leaders must not be imposed on people but that the people, themselves, must choose who they want to lead them.
“I have said this so many times. It may not have pleased some people, but we chose democracy which entails that people must have freedom of choice. We cannot have our own brand of democracy,” he said.
Asked how he became first national chair of UDF, Malewezi answered: He only said “I was elected.”
He declined to say whether he would accept if any group or party wanted him to be its presidential candidate in the next elections.
“Let’s decide when we arrive at the bridge,” he said.
,Vice President Justin Malewezi said on Friday he has resigned from the ruling UDF, the party he has served for over 10 years, because the direction the party took in the past two years made it difficult for him to serve with clear conscience.
Asked why he resigned in an interview at his private home in Likuni, Lilongwe, Malewezi said: “I could not discharge my duties properly, with clear conscience. Therefore, it was the right thing to do [so] that I should not be dishonest to my country and the party.”
He could not disclose what was wrong with the UDF in the past two years but indicated that the party compromised on respect for its senior members.
“The party, I think, started stalling about two years ago when there were some rather unfortunate influences and meetings which were aired,” said Malewezi. “You could see that there was a difference in the respect that was there for fellow senior people. The respect had started to be compromised and, although efforts were made to change, the trend did not improve.”
Party supporters who championed open and third term bids for Muluzi used to justify their decision by undermining other senior party members, describing them as madeya (chaff), incapable of discharging the duties of a president.
Asked if the decision to resign could have partly been influenced by health considerations, Malewezi, who has had a kidney problem while serving in government, described his health as “excellent”.
Said Malewezi: “It is not a medical reason. I go to Germany for my medical checkup and my medical checkup this year was excellent. I am not ill or anything. I am probably much fitter than most people I have been working together with. I exercise quite regularly and do not have any illness to do with kidneys. I am cured of that problem.”
Looking back to the years he served in UDF, Malewezi described the formative years as “very exciting” saying, “we were working together, we were close to each other and consulted very closely and we had very competent people, some of them have since passed way.”
He also described the first UDF term in government as “very successful”, saying many programmes were introduced “despite experiencing teething problems”.
But Malewezi said although the second term started off reasonably well, the ending was not good. “We lost a number very good ministers through deaths. There were some more inexperienced people coming in and for them to carry on with the same momentum, that was broken slightly, ” he said.
Added Malewezi: “I leave the party with mixed feelings. I wish I could have been there to continue the good foundation that was laid in the first administration but for these personal reasons, I feel that this had to be left to other people who may try to improve the performance of the party.
“I do no want to give the impression that just because I have left the UDF, I am going to trash the party. And any attempt to make me throw mud at the UDF will not be allowed. I have been part of the system and have contributed to its successes and probably its failures. This is just the time that my contribution has to come to an end.”
But Malewezi said UDF needs to set up systems and regulations to guide its operations and ensure that it is not personalised.
“I come from a management background and I emphasise setting up a system for management so that whoever comes in things should continue to work, so that you are not so much dependent on an individual person,” he said.
“Setting up systems is much more sustainable and this is what needs to be done, not only by UDF but any organisation particularly in political parties.”
Malewezi said he did not discuss his intention to resign with President Bakili Muluzi who, by yesterday, had not reacted to his resignation directly.
“Probably the replacement of my portfolio as minister responsible for privatization could be seen as a reaction,” said Malewezi, referring to the appointment of presidential running mate Cassim Chilumpha as Minister responsible for Privatisation.
Commenting on stories that his relationship with Muluzi soured to the extent that they were not on talking terms, Malewezi, laughing, said: “How do they know we were not talking? The relationship between the president and the vice president is that of trust and confidence. I can’t say whether we have been discussing this and that but I have been attending the national functions, cabinet, the national executive and I chaired a caucus recently for Parliament. I have been working normally as vice president.”
Malewezi also denied speculations in the media that he has resigned now to join the coalition of opposition parties.
“If I had decided at any other time there would have been other reasons for that time. Any time there would have been speculation around it. This was the time that I thought it should happen. There were other occasions previously that I had considered, but for one or two reasons, those failed. But it so happened that January 1 was a good day.”
He confirmed being part of a group of senior UDF members who had sought an audience with Muluzi ahead of a meeting that chose Economic Planning Minister Bingu Mutharika and now Privatisation Minister Cassim Chilumpha as running mate.
“Hon. Aleke Banda’s statement after he left the party cleared the air. It was myself, Hon. Sam Mpasu, Hon. Aleke Banda and Hon. Thomson. The reason for those names is that we were the most senior party members from the beginning who were left. It was not as if it was a conspirators’ group. These were senior people.
“The main issue we planned to discuss was to agree on the procedure of that meeting. We were not looking at any names. We were not objecting to Hon Mutharika or any other name. It was just a matter of procedure,” said Malewezi.
Asked if he ever harboured ambitions to succeed Muluzi, Malewezi answered that it is the party, and not an individual who must choose the leader.
“Succession issue is decided by the party,” he said. “If the party wanted me to serve as it did by making me running mate, it would have been considered at that time. It is not right for somebody to impose himself on a leadership position. I do not know my weaknesses as much as other people do. I may think I am a great person when other people think differently. That is how my career has been.”
Asked to comment on whether or not Mutharika was imposed on UDF, Malewezi declined to answer but repeated his position that leaders must not be imposed on people but that the people, themselves, must choose who they want to lead them.
“I have said this so many times. It may not have pleased some people, but we chose democracy which entails that people must have freedom of choice. We cannot have our own brand of democracy,” he said.
Asked how he became first national chair of UDF, Malewezi answered: He only said “I was elected.”
He declined to say whether he would accept if any group or party wanted him to be its presidential candidate in the next elections.
“Let’s decide when we arrive at the bridge,” he said.
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