Muluzi in identity crisis post presidency?
By Isaac Cheke Ziba
In just about six weeks the Malawi nation heads to the polls – yes the presidential and parliamentary elections. Once again
the nation will be choosing leaders – yes leaders we will entrust the affairs and administration of our country with – a
country crying out for serious leadership – leadership that can translate into improved lives of our people and their
livelihoods, of course.
While this is true and time is ticking away fast and quick, we are witnessing one major political party in what I, as an
outsider, can describe as a leadership crisis – simply meaning that the party is not ready to lead Malawi – again. You know
what party I am talking about – it is the United Democratic Front – UDF, of course!
I do not believe, for a second, that in the UDF there is nobody who sees things and issues differently from the way their
leader sees and views things. Yes, Dr Bakili Muluzi, of course. The man helped in the bundling, to the doldrums, of the once
‘mighty’ Malawi Congress Party. Their ‘might’ was both in terms of political stature particularly because they were the only
ones in existence and in power for a long time in our country – and that ‘might’ was consolidated by the fact they were a
‘mercilessly’ brutal party and they also formed a mercilessly brutal government – over the years. As if that is not enough on
the ‘achievements’ record of Dr Bakili Muluzi, the man went ahead, stood in the 1994 presidential elections and he winged
into the magnificent “state houses” of the Republic of Malawi – and he did it for the second time in 1999.
Simply put, Bakili Muluzi was president of the republic of Malawi for two consecutive terms – translating into ten years. As
Malawians we should all be aware of what happened as we all expected Dr Bakili Muluzi to wilfully wind up his presidency.
On the ticking of his watch, the Nation was taken through debates of a possible stay of presidents beyond the ‘vaguely’
indicated constitutional two terms – of five years each. We had the open terms debate; we also had the third [sad] term
debate. They were ‘sticky’ and ‘tough’ debates – not only did Malawians find it surprising, I may argue, but they found the
debates brutal too as they were accompanied by ‘aggressive’ and ‘violent’ ‘youthful energy’ from what were popularly
referred to as ‘Young Democrats.’ All these political machinations by one Dr Bakili Muluzi yielded nothing of substance in as
far as his whims and fancies were concerned.
We thought, as a nation, that is/was it! But nay! Muluzi had more ‘surprises’ up his sleeves. He took the political battles to
his ‘own’ political club. He decided to ‘leave out into the cold’ all senior members of the UDF – seasoned politicians, one
may argue, in the likes of Aleke Kadonaphani Banda, Harry Thomson, Brown Mpinganjira, Jan Jaap Sonkie etc – and opted
for an ‘outsider’ – Dr Bingu wa Muntharika. Conspiracy theorists have it that at the back of his mind, Muluzi thought Bingu
would easily be ‘manipulated’ so that he could still be in control of the affairs of government – ‘kuimba belu ali pa kaliyala’ –
to quote one of Muluzi’s famous statements. He [Muluzi] just did not leave it to fate though, remember! He went ahead and
bulldozed the UDF to change their constitution to provide for the office of ‘Party Chairman’ – the post he immediately
occupied. And conspiracy theorists have it that the position of ‘Chairman’ was, at party level, more powerful than that of the
Party President – at the time Dr Bingu wa Muntharika – a possible future President of the country at the time. All this, one
would argue, was intent at consolidating his power behind the scenes of government.
Bingu was going to have none of this ‘rubbish and nonsense’ one would speculate. As soon as he got elected, by the
Malawian people, he sent a clear message during his inauguration ceremony – that he will be his own man – and he
indeed acted, behaved and governed as ‘his own man’ right from Kamuzu Stadium where the inauguration took place.
Noting that his whims and fancies were crumbling down and fast, Muluzi decided that he will wage war – political war –
against a sitting president, one can easily speclate. “Sindingalephere kuphwetsa chubu chopopa ndekha’ he declared and
it did not take long for him to decide that it was time to come back to power – at which point the vacant seat, owing to the
departure of Dr Bingu wa Muntharika, of the UDF Party President was not filled by anybody else but one Dr Bakili Muluzi.
Crisis! Can you see one with me?
There are laws in this country as enshrined in our constitution regarding how long one can serve as president. This did not
matter to Dr Bakili Muluz, or did it?i – and probably it did not matter to the UDF either, or did it? Why do I say it did not seem
to matter? It is because the UDF endorsed their “tcheya and president” as their front runner in the 2009 Presidential polls.
As if that was not enough the man, Dr Bakili Muluzi, gathered enough courage and contained adequate audacity and gut of
presenting his nomination papers to the Malawi Electoral Commission – nay – “The Electoral Commission’ on February 4,
2009 – uneventfully.
The Malawian Nation, to a large extent, was left with their mouths agape as they wondered how on earth, after all the razz
matazz and hullabaloo surrounding the ‘new form’ of the third term bid – which may well translate into open terms once the
man gets back to Malawi’s ‘state houses’ – including the hussle pused by some, potentially bogus, James Phiri’s, Dr Bakili
Muluzi presented his nomination papers to ‘The Electoral Commission” so uneventfully – and so un-worth of news?
Reality, and probably trouble too, was brewing somewhere else. ‘The Electoral Commission’ was scrutinizing the papers of
all those that ‘asked for employment’ through it via the May 19 elections and trying hard to do anything and everything
related to ‘electoral matters’ within the legal framework with the Constitution as their guide. The UDF and a lot of its
prominent members burked, coughed and jeered at the Electoral Commission – the Commission was taking too long for
them – they edged and agitated to know. The big question was why? Why the impatience?
Oh yes, the news came – and it came hard! On March 20, 2009, Dr Bakili Muluzi was told that his nomination papers had
been rejected as a possible candidate for and in the May 19 presidential polls. He must have been gutted; he must have
been disappointed and he must have been thinking he would wake up from the ‘nightmarish sort of dreaming.’ Nay! he
wasn’t! That reality had come to stay around and in the BCA Hills. He was quick to make a statement – attributing the
rejection to some political influence from somewhere unto ‘The lectoral Commission’ – not very willing, one would say to
look inside – inside himself and his political party and their history in regard to the office of the president of the Malawi
Nation.
In haste, the man sued, yes he sued the “Malawi Electoral Commission” – we are just learning that we have no such thing
as The Malawi Electoral Commission – but we do have “The Electoral Commission” – and in that very haste, and
apparently under the counsel of 24 lawyers – with three foreign ones, Dr Bakili Muluzi missed on the procedures too – and
as expected – his case was thrown out of court on procedural grounds – of course the Judges, yes three of them - offered
him the liberty to properly lodge his ‘complaint.’ Time, and to a great extent, the bigger part of the Nation, one would argue,
are not on Muluzi’s side. Sitikufuna, as a nation, akabwerebwere pa mpando wa pulezidenti ku Malawi kuno!
News emerging from the UDF camp as well as Dr Bakili Muluzi himself makes interesting reading and hearing. While it
appears he is not ready with a fresh challenge, he seems ready to go into an electoral alliance with the Malawi Congress
Party – a party that has before, and by other political players, been described as a party of ‘death and darkness’, and Muluzi
himself has referred to the leader of the Malawi Congress Party as a leader whose hands are stained with blood –
“mtsogoleri woti mmanja ake muli magazi.”
It can be argued that we are witnessing a former president of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Bakili Muluzi, in an ‘identity crisis’
post his presidency. Is it an attachment to politics? Is it his passion for Malawi? Is it personal hatred and loathing of Dr
Bingu wa Muntharika? Is it obsession with power? Is it about an indescribable emptiness inside him? Or is it about being
in power perpetually and forever till he gets demented? Or is it about a personal agenda that we may not all, fully, be aware
of? Questions! Questions! Questions!
Your answers to these questions may well be as good as mine. All I can say is that there may be a bit of everything and it all
leaves a bitter after-taste.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
A BINGU WIN WILL START TO POUR COLD WATER ON POLITICS OF REGIONALISM
The nation – yes Malawi – needs exorcising. The nation needs redeeming. The nation needs re-directing. We are 40+ years old as a self determining lot and yet we are miles and miles away from freeing our people from poverty, disease and in-capabilities that take many forms. I have dared to say, in the not so distant past, that the elections in 2009 will be about “politics vs. development” and I, further, have dared to say that the Bingu wa Muntharika government has started – yes only started – the long journey to the “promised land” where people are free, free from poverty, free from disease, free from incapability – yes the long journey to a destination where we can say it, in unison, with a renowned economist and “humanitarian” Amartya Sen that our “development is our freedom.” We can claim and reclaim it – as a people, a people of Malawi – a people determined to do something that will make us emerge “victorious” from our so many traps – with poverty at the helm.
One of the most dangerous enemies, amidst us, as a nation is “regionalism”. This ill ism has actually made us fail – in my view - as a country, to aggregate consensus on and around things and issues that matter to our people – yes the people of Malawi – from Chitipa to Nsanje and from Mangochi to Mchinji. We need to reject and abandon the platform of “regionalism” – sooner rather than later – he sooner I say, the better so that we can challenge, as a people united in purpose, a people ready to change their circumstances, the real social and economic problems that continue to beset our people. We can do it and the only way is to trust and believe in Malawians, Malawians are a people, one people, with one destiny. In the spirit of William Shakespeare we can “loose so many arrows in many directions – with only one mark as our aim – ensuring the betterment of the people of Malawi – taking them as both the means as well as the ends”. Our politics needs to engage with them so that it is them that are taking centre stage and it is them that are taking control.
I, for one, am happy with the pick of Joyce Banda as running mate of and to President Dr Bingu wa Muntharika in the forthcoming general elections. This is because I totally believe that Malawi can and should be one and Malawi can be treated as one country – with only one fragment – Malawi. There are those that think Malawi can only be represented if Malawi has three fragments – the North, the Centre and the South. We have tried this platform for ages on end – it is not working for our people – and we do need - not just a paradigm shift but a paradigm change in the way we do not only our politics but our national endeavours as well – including on the development front. Malawi is yearning for a day when all of our people – yes from Chitipa to Nsanje, Mangochi to Mchinji will have well determined three square meals a day; they will have roads that will lead them to where they are going and they are sure to come back; they will have schools that prepare not only the young ones but communities for future challenges while riding in the comforts of today – we need – and yes – we demand better politics and better engagement with communities and yes improved and guaranteed development for all Malawians in substantial, equal, equitable, considered and coherent measures.
There are divisive, hate-concocted and vile-filled sentiments emerging from certain quarters in the wake of the news that Bingu has picked Joyce Banda as his running mate. Nyasanet, for example, mainly emerging from ardent, die-hard, hard-core and unrelenting supporters of Bakili Muluzi, is awash with messages like “Bingu equates Malawi with south only; it’s Bingu and southerner Joyce Banda; Nzeru zayekha Bingu goes south and south only; Bingu snubs Goodall – picks Joyce Banda; Central, northern regions hurt by Bingu’s snubs” – and many other such invasive, divisive and evasive remarks. I say to Bingu and Joyce “ignore them and get on with the job, the campaign and engagement with the Malawian people – it is the message that you will take to them and the way you deliver – and of course the way you will carry that message through – and the manner in which you will follow through the message with action that will matter.”
While there could be many explanations why Bingu may have chosen Joyce Banda as his running mate - very much dependent on his prerogatives – one of them could be that the President, on the whole, wants to snub the fact that Malawi is and should be fragmented into three regions – I could be wrong – but definitely allow me to speculate…and in my view, his win will have started to pour cold water on this notion that we have to feed the “big bull, white elephant” of “regionalism” as we have done for many years gone by. Of course I am aware it is a gamble; it is a risk bearing in mind the other players on the political scene and the message that they had, the message that they have and the message that they will take to the Malawian people, you can not guarantee the content of that message and yu can not quarantine it – but the gamble; the risk is one worth taking as it promises, in my view, to start the process of turning the tables of “regionalism” around – again I may be completely wrong in this – but I do believe it is the right way to go.
It is to the effect that we can be one Malawi; we can be one nation with one vision why I would like to appeal to all Malawians of good will; all Malawians that want to start the process of healing the wounds of regionalism to support the BwM-JB ticket. It represents, in my view, a shift that we can follow as a country. It is my sincere hope that the ticket was hatched; the ticket has been borne and the ticket has been revealed with solid and concrete consensus within the rank and file of the DPP. If the ticket came out of an honest debate and honest process that each member – particularly those of us from the outside look at as senior members of the party agreed to it, the ticket will be sold in unison – across the country. It will be a tragedy if the ticket will actually be sold in an incoherent manner.
There will be people, intent at reinforcing, retrenching and consolidating the gutter, regional politics; they will say lots of things – some of them already coming out as above – that has to be rejected outright, all Malawians need to stand up and say we are one Malawi, we are one nation and we have one destiny.
While listening to the divisive voices, it may be quite natural for people from the central and northern region to feel a certain degree of emptiness; a certain degree of irrelevance and probably a certain feeling of being “neglected” – but that will be emanating from the fact that we have been fed on “regionalism” for ages on end – and this ticket, the Bingu-Joyce ticket, represents a big shift and that is the shift that we have to follow – as one Malawi, one nation with one destiny.
Malawi is too small to be fragmented into three; and of course big enough to work and “produce” for its people from Chitipa to Nsanje and from Mangochi to Mchinji. Bingu and Joyce have to be steadfast, resilient and forward looking. It will be tough. You will be called names from all over the place – but keep your eyes on the ball – the oneness of our country…our unity does not and should not depend on “regionalism” – it depends and will depend on good leadership and the political will to unite the country and, above all, politics that works for all Malawians.
Go for it Bingu! Go for it Joyce! You have left many people with their negative energy in quandary. 2009 will be a year of history in Malawi – may I be allowed to predict.
The nation – yes Malawi – needs exorcising. The nation needs redeeming. The nation needs re-directing. We are 40+ years old as a self determining lot and yet we are miles and miles away from freeing our people from poverty, disease and in-capabilities that take many forms. I have dared to say, in the not so distant past, that the elections in 2009 will be about “politics vs. development” and I, further, have dared to say that the Bingu wa Muntharika government has started – yes only started – the long journey to the “promised land” where people are free, free from poverty, free from disease, free from incapability – yes the long journey to a destination where we can say it, in unison, with a renowned economist and “humanitarian” Amartya Sen that our “development is our freedom.” We can claim and reclaim it – as a people, a people of Malawi – a people determined to do something that will make us emerge “victorious” from our so many traps – with poverty at the helm.
One of the most dangerous enemies, amidst us, as a nation is “regionalism”. This ill ism has actually made us fail – in my view - as a country, to aggregate consensus on and around things and issues that matter to our people – yes the people of Malawi – from Chitipa to Nsanje and from Mangochi to Mchinji. We need to reject and abandon the platform of “regionalism” – sooner rather than later – he sooner I say, the better so that we can challenge, as a people united in purpose, a people ready to change their circumstances, the real social and economic problems that continue to beset our people. We can do it and the only way is to trust and believe in Malawians, Malawians are a people, one people, with one destiny. In the spirit of William Shakespeare we can “loose so many arrows in many directions – with only one mark as our aim – ensuring the betterment of the people of Malawi – taking them as both the means as well as the ends”. Our politics needs to engage with them so that it is them that are taking centre stage and it is them that are taking control.
I, for one, am happy with the pick of Joyce Banda as running mate of and to President Dr Bingu wa Muntharika in the forthcoming general elections. This is because I totally believe that Malawi can and should be one and Malawi can be treated as one country – with only one fragment – Malawi. There are those that think Malawi can only be represented if Malawi has three fragments – the North, the Centre and the South. We have tried this platform for ages on end – it is not working for our people – and we do need - not just a paradigm shift but a paradigm change in the way we do not only our politics but our national endeavours as well – including on the development front. Malawi is yearning for a day when all of our people – yes from Chitipa to Nsanje, Mangochi to Mchinji will have well determined three square meals a day; they will have roads that will lead them to where they are going and they are sure to come back; they will have schools that prepare not only the young ones but communities for future challenges while riding in the comforts of today – we need – and yes – we demand better politics and better engagement with communities and yes improved and guaranteed development for all Malawians in substantial, equal, equitable, considered and coherent measures.
There are divisive, hate-concocted and vile-filled sentiments emerging from certain quarters in the wake of the news that Bingu has picked Joyce Banda as his running mate. Nyasanet, for example, mainly emerging from ardent, die-hard, hard-core and unrelenting supporters of Bakili Muluzi, is awash with messages like “Bingu equates Malawi with south only; it’s Bingu and southerner Joyce Banda; Nzeru zayekha Bingu goes south and south only; Bingu snubs Goodall – picks Joyce Banda; Central, northern regions hurt by Bingu’s snubs” – and many other such invasive, divisive and evasive remarks. I say to Bingu and Joyce “ignore them and get on with the job, the campaign and engagement with the Malawian people – it is the message that you will take to them and the way you deliver – and of course the way you will carry that message through – and the manner in which you will follow through the message with action that will matter.”
While there could be many explanations why Bingu may have chosen Joyce Banda as his running mate - very much dependent on his prerogatives – one of them could be that the President, on the whole, wants to snub the fact that Malawi is and should be fragmented into three regions – I could be wrong – but definitely allow me to speculate…and in my view, his win will have started to pour cold water on this notion that we have to feed the “big bull, white elephant” of “regionalism” as we have done for many years gone by. Of course I am aware it is a gamble; it is a risk bearing in mind the other players on the political scene and the message that they had, the message that they have and the message that they will take to the Malawian people, you can not guarantee the content of that message and yu can not quarantine it – but the gamble; the risk is one worth taking as it promises, in my view, to start the process of turning the tables of “regionalism” around – again I may be completely wrong in this – but I do believe it is the right way to go.
It is to the effect that we can be one Malawi; we can be one nation with one vision why I would like to appeal to all Malawians of good will; all Malawians that want to start the process of healing the wounds of regionalism to support the BwM-JB ticket. It represents, in my view, a shift that we can follow as a country. It is my sincere hope that the ticket was hatched; the ticket has been borne and the ticket has been revealed with solid and concrete consensus within the rank and file of the DPP. If the ticket came out of an honest debate and honest process that each member – particularly those of us from the outside look at as senior members of the party agreed to it, the ticket will be sold in unison – across the country. It will be a tragedy if the ticket will actually be sold in an incoherent manner.
There will be people, intent at reinforcing, retrenching and consolidating the gutter, regional politics; they will say lots of things – some of them already coming out as above – that has to be rejected outright, all Malawians need to stand up and say we are one Malawi, we are one nation and we have one destiny.
While listening to the divisive voices, it may be quite natural for people from the central and northern region to feel a certain degree of emptiness; a certain degree of irrelevance and probably a certain feeling of being “neglected” – but that will be emanating from the fact that we have been fed on “regionalism” for ages on end – and this ticket, the Bingu-Joyce ticket, represents a big shift and that is the shift that we have to follow – as one Malawi, one nation with one destiny.
Malawi is too small to be fragmented into three; and of course big enough to work and “produce” for its people from Chitipa to Nsanje and from Mangochi to Mchinji. Bingu and Joyce have to be steadfast, resilient and forward looking. It will be tough. You will be called names from all over the place – but keep your eyes on the ball – the oneness of our country…our unity does not and should not depend on “regionalism” – it depends and will depend on good leadership and the political will to unite the country and, above all, politics that works for all Malawians.
Go for it Bingu! Go for it Joyce! You have left many people with their negative energy in quandary. 2009 will be a year of history in Malawi – may I be allowed to predict.
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