Bingu applauds Chilumpha

President Bingu wa Mutharika Thursday applauded Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, who is also UDF National Executive Committee (Nec) member, for supporting government development initiatives through his public rallies—a move some political analysts have described as "surprising" and a political tactic for the two.
But Mutharika's DPP described the move as normal while UDF said Chilumpha has the freedom to do whatever he wants.
In a press statement Thursday, Mutharika, through State House press officer Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, said he greatly appreciates the gesture demonstrated by Chilumpha by appealing to the public to support government development plans and programmes.
"This is encouraging and it is the way things are supposed to be in Malawi for our country to develop further. The State President is encouraging the Vice-President to continue in his development meetings as one way of sensitising the people of this country on their development needs and programmes," reads the statement.
Mutharika's recognition comes after soured relations with the VP which resulted in Chilumpha being "constructively" fired in February 2006 for "abandoning his responsibilities since he assumed office". Mutharika wrote to Chilumpha accepting his resignation where he cited five grounds for his removal, which included Chilumpha's non-attendance of Cabinet meetings and public criticism and attack of the same government he was part of.
But Chilumpha challenged the President's decision in court and won. He remained VP only to be arrested in April 2006 for allegedly plotting to kill Mutharika. Chilumpha is currently on bail.
Chancellor College political analyst Blessings Chinsinga said it is surprising for the President to make such remarks about Chilumpha considering the earlier "cat-and-mouse" relationship between the two.
However, Chinsinga said Chilumpha's actions could be aimed at scaling up his own political career after failing in the UDF primaries and presidential bid at the party's convention in April this year.
"He has decided to support government as a way of fighting back the UDF for mishandling him in the primaries and presidential elections. I suspect the two might have had a tit-for-tat meeting for their own selfish gains.
"Mutharika, too, wants to take advantage of Chilumpha's supporters in UDF because next year's elections appear to be tough. Mutharika knows it would be unwise to leave no stone unturned," argued Chinsinga.
Executive director for the Institute of Policy Interaction (IPI) Rafiq Hajat said the development could mean that Chilumpha has "come out of the cold" and trying to mend fences through non-partisan meetings he has been conducting in Nkhotakota.
"He is simply separating partisan from State functions and conveying the message that development meetings should bear no party colour. It remains to be seen if Mutharika will do the same because he is always mixing government and party functions yet the rules should apply across the board. We will see who follows who," said Hajat.
In an interview with The Nation, UDF secretary-general Kennedy Makwangwala said the party sees nothing wrong with Chilumpha supporting government as he has the freedom to say whatever he wants and the right to support whoever he wishes.
"As far as we are concerned, Chilumpha is still a member of the party because we do not have any communication from him stating otherwise. In any event, UDF is big and will not be affected, whether or not he decides to jump ship and join the other camp," said Makwangwala.
DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi expressed surprise at the air of controversy surrounding the development on Chilumpha.
"I honestly do not see what the fuss is about. After all, by virtue of being Vice-President, Honourable Chilumpha is part and parcel of government. Therefore, there is nothing unusual with him publicly propagating government ideals because that is actually his job," said Dausi.
He said DPP as a party is happy that Chilumpha is finally doing what is expected of him.
Some UDF heavyweights early this month expressed shock with the conduct of Chilumpha who reportedly asked people who wore party colours during a public meeting he addressed in Nkhotakota to remove the cloth because it was a government function.
A senior UDF Nec member was quoted in Nation on Sunday of December 7 that the behaviour of Chilumpha, although not "very strange" has left the party wondering as to which direction the VP is heading following his open castigation of the party and its leadership in support of the DPP administration.
Chilumpha took a swipe at the UDF, saying some greedy party leaders who were not there when the party was being formed were bringing confusion in the grouping. He also asked people in Nkhotakota to support government under the leadership of Mutharika and him as Vice-President.
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