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The idea of honourable members of Parliament marching or jogging along the streets, soaked in sweat in protest against State President Bingu wa Mutharika’s actions seemed comical and childish. But that is what attracted Judge Chimwamasana’s attention while he was sipping Madeira at KSG.
At first the judge thought that what he was overhearing in a conversation between barman Wendewende and women’s guild member Wangwiro–– that UDF MPs had decided to take to the streets because the President was not consulting the party on certain decisions––could not be true.
Here was a party, Chimwamasana thought, which only had the President’s victory to show for in the May elections. The UDF had been decimated at the polls, scooping only 49 seats out of the 90 plus they got in 1999. By any reason it is only in the presidential race where they triumphed and it did not make sense for the MPs to denigrate the only symbol of political respect they had.
“But people rarely learn from mistakes. Most of the times, they repeat errors like children. A kid will poke its finger into a candle flame even after being warned about the possible effects. This is what the UDF MPs were trying to do. They wanted the President to react to their actions so that they become political martyrs and earn undue sympathy from the gullible UDF zealots.
“Apparently, the President is too clever to get into such a trap. The MPs should have known by now that the Chief Executive Officer is smarter than they thought he was, when they put him up as their presidential candidate. They all along believed he could be easily manipulated,” Chimwamasana said, after he had automatically joined in the conversation between Wangwiro and Wendewende.
His interruption forced the two drinkmates to direct their attention to the intruder who had glided in unnoticed to their little meeting.
“Welcome judge. What you are raising are important points and they should be food for thought for the UDF MPs. The President has called some of them ‘thoughtless’ before and I do not think it is to their advantage to continue trying his patience.
“This brings me to what I heard the other day that the MPs are dissatisfied because Bingu has not offered them cabinet posts. The other thing is that he is not behaving like one who can shield people answering corruption charges. That, I think ,is the CEO’s biggest crime to the UDF but at the same time his main political asset,” said Wendewende.
Chimwamasana was amazed at Wendewende’s analytical presentation. He saw that it would be difficult for the UDF MPs and whoever sent them to march to dupe Malawians. The President had already earned respect among those who dislike corruption and it was too late for anyone to derail him.
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