Maravi

Mutharika’s brother dispels rumours of being groomed for presidency

Mutharika’s brother dispels rumours of being groomed for presidency
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Saturday, May 09, 2009 4:07:25 PM

BINGU wa Mutharika will retain the presidency, the Malawian President's young brother Professor Peter Mutharika has said. And Prof Mutharika said President Wa Mutharika was not grooming him for the presidency contrary to speculations, following his decision to stand as a parliamentary candidate.

In a telephone interview from Thyolo East constituency - about 32 kilometres south of Malawi's commercial capital Blantyre - where he is standing as a parliamentary candidate, Prof Mutharika said President Wa Mutharika had done a lot of developmental projects that would lead to him being re-elected in the May 19 presidential elections.

"I believe so; I really expect him to return to power and I think the campaign is going on very well," Prof Mutharika said.

Asked if the newly-formed coalition between former president Bakili Muluzi and main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader John Tembo where Tembo will be a joint presidential candidate posed a threat to President Wa Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Prof Mutharika responded: "No! They don't!"

He said no one knows the policies of the coalition because it had not yet published its manifesto.

"John Tembo yesterday [Tuesday] clarified that. He said it's not an alliance, it's a coalition. That is what he says," Prof Mutharika said. "The alliance or coalition, as they call it, so far has not even published its manifesto. They haven't launched their manifesto. So currently, I don't even know what their policies and their goals are for this country. We published ours about a month ago or two months ago."

And Prof Mutharika dismissed assertions that he was standing as a parliamentary candidate because his brother was grooming him to take over the presidency after the head of state completes his second term of office, which he is widely expected to get after the May 19 elections.

"That is not correct. I just want to serve this country. I have a very distinguished professorship at one of the leading American universities but I felt I should help this country and I have been a chief advisor to the President on constitutional, legal and international affairs for years now," explained Prof Mutharika, a lecturer at Washington University in St Louis and a former president of African Law Association in America and the International Third World Legal Studies Association. "So I thought I would serve the country better by going to Parliament and get involved in shaping administration and policies. So that is all. These things that people are saying are just speculations. He is not grooming anyone at all."

Prof Mutharika said it was his personal decision to stand as parliamentary candidate.

"The campaign is going fine. We still have two weeks to go and I think so far, it's quite fine. I am standing in Thyolo East; it is 20 miles [32.19 km] south of Blantyre," Prof Mutharika said. "I certainly plan to live in the constituency; I will soon be building a house there."

Malawi is holding presidential and parliamentary elections on May 19, 2009.

However, Prof Mutharika said members of parliament could not be expected to just live in their constituency.

"If you ought to be a serious legislator, you have to live in the constituency but as you know, I am sure even in Zambia or any other country, as a member of parliament you also have to spend time in the capital city because that is where the National Assembly is. If you want to get development projects for your constituency, you have to be in the capital also because that is where you get funding for projects," said Prof Mutharika.

"Obviously, you have to live in both the constituency and the capital. You have to live in the constituency and listen to the needs of your people."

Labels: BINGU WA MUTHARIKA

posted by MrK @ 3:09 PM