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President Bingu wa Mutharika finally hit straight at his predecessor Bakili Muluzi on Thursday, blaming him for all the problems in the party and accusing him of hosting a secret meeting with his henchmen at his BCA residence where they plotted to disturb the abortive Sanjika meeting “and shoot at me”, a day before the three UDF officials were caught with firearms.
The president, who said he does not owe his presidency to the party chair, asked Muluzi to shut up and let him govern the country.
Abandoning his usual subtlety and looking tough, Mutharika told an afternoon press conference at the New State House that similar meetings were also held at houses of UDF deputy research director Humphrey Mvula and UDF regional governor (South) John Chikakwiya in preparation for the cancelled meeting.
“They agreed to cause anarchy in the cancelled meeting. They wanted to hack people, shoot in the air and even shoot at me,” said Mutharika in the cabinet room of the vast state house. “I am challenging the national chair Bakili Muluzi to address his own press conference and deny this if he can.”
The conference was held about five hours after he instructed the police and prison authorities at 11AM to free the four treason suspects — Harry Thomson, Deputy Transport Minister Roy Commsy, Mangochi South East MP Alfred Mwechumu and Mangochi district governor Jordan Kanyerere. He said he had forgiven them and would maintain Commsy in his cabinet.
Mutharika named Muluzi as the sole architect of all the problems that exist between his government and the UDF because of his appetite for power having tried in vain to “become the life president through the open terms bill”, and the third term bill which sought to extend the presidential tenure beyond the sanctioned two terms.
“Since he failed to extend his stay in office, he has tried since my inauguration to rule this country by remote control. He is the same person who used to say during the campaign that the one seating on a carrier of a bicycle cannot ring the bell, and yet this is what he is trying to do,” he lamented. “But I will not allow him to do so.”
He said time has come for him to empty his chest after enduring the frustrations of the campaign period and the underhand tactics of the chair to undermine his government since taking his oath.
“During the campaigns he portrayed me as being silly by just giving me two minutes to greet people, after allowing district governors to speak for hours. I endured all that because I was determined to serve the people of this country. Today he is disappointed I am not the puppet he thought I would be,” said Mutharika.
“We agreed that he will be the national chair to run party affairs, and I will be state president running government affairs. I have remained in my domain. Why then does he interfere with my business? Why can’t he leave me alone to run this country? I thought he had his time? Who interfered with him?” charged Mutharika.
He revealed that since taking office Muluzi he refused to attend a number of official functions among them the official opening of the new session of Parliament after the elections, the opening of the budget meeting, celebrations marking 40th anniversary of Malawi independence.
He accused his predecessor of double dealing, saying “we agree on one thing and he does another,” alleging the national chair has failed to discipline or dismiss his henchmen among them Zomba Thondwe MP Dumbo Lemani and Chikakwiya, after undertaking in their discussions to do so.
“All these problems are taking place because of the national chair, I want the country to know this. As long as Dumbo Lemani is in the party or remains untouchable these problems will remain,” he said, claiming he was still available for discussions “because this country needs to see the back of this wrangle.”
Mutharika also stated that his does not owe his presidency to Muluzi.
“I did not become president of this country because of Muluzi. He nominated me of course and I thank him for that, but God and people of this country put me in office. This country cannot be held to ransom by one single individual because of power hunger.”
He said he was surprised that the UDF was accusing him of using corruption arrests against the UDF.
“Muluzi is the one who started the Anti Corruption Bureau. Not only that, there used to be billboards in this country with his big portrait urging people to fight corruption. What fight was he talking about,” questioned Mutharika. “The presidential commission on maize and construction of Superior Hotel was set up by him.”
“I just found these things and I am only implementing them, of course not word for word. So what wrong have I done?”
Muluzi’s spokesman Sam Mpasu asked for time to digest the statement before responding.
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