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UDF national chairman Bakili Muluzi is getting impatient over President Bingu wa Mutharika’s reluctance to meet him to mend their souring relations and end the rift between government and party, a source has disclosed.
The source said Muluzi has been eager to meet Mutharika since November 23, 2004, when a task force set up to mediate on the UDF split, recommended that a meeting between the two should take place “at the earliest opportunity”.
The task force also recommended that the two should address a joint public meeting to announce that any misunderstandings that might have arisen between them have been resolved.
“Atcheya is getting impatient because Bingu has shown no commitment at all to hold a meeting as soon as possible. In fact, Dr. Muluzi is now trying to find out if the talks should be abandoned as he does not think that Bingu is serious with the reconciliation,” said the source.
But Minister of Education Yusuf Mwawa, who is leading the team of mediators from Mutharika’s side, said on Thursday the President is “ready and eager to talk to the chair”.
Mwawa said Mutharika has been busy and that he left for a visit to the Northern Region on Thursday to fulfil state duties.
“He will meet the chair immediately after he comes back from the North,” said Mwawa.
Minutes of the task force meeting which The Nation sourced indicate that Mutharika is expected to “reiterate his assurances to the National Chairman that he has no intention of arresting him as there is no basis for such action,” and for the two leaders to agree not to engage in acts intended to outmanoeuvre nor discredit the other.
Apart from Mwawa, Mutharika’s team comprises the President’s chief of staff Ken Ng’oma, Minister of Energy Davis Katsonga and government spokesman Ken Lipenga.
Muluzi’s group is made up of Speaker of the National Assembly Rodwell Munyenyembe as chairman, former NDA chairman Harry Thomson, UDF Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala, former Minister of Education George Mtafu and UDF deputy spokesperson Mary Kaphwereza-Banda.
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