For most people, the question: Are Hummers an electoral tool? may sound irrelevant. Not for Blantyre residents.
Hummers are fast becoming a hot electoral issue. It begun with former president Bakili Muluzi, who bought a Hummer some three years ago, a utility vehicle he used during some of his party tours. Then the Hummer mysteriously disappeared from the roads of Malawi.
Enters incumbent president, Bingu wa Mutharika. He surprised Malawians when, earlier this year during the launch of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) May 19, 2009 elections campaign appeared at Kamuzu Stadium rife with six Hummers. It was at first reported that they vehicles belonged to him, but State House later cleared the misconception and said the Hummers are government property purchased with around K45 million.
The vehicles have since attracted some admiration from onlookers wherever Mutharika goes, especially during the campaign trail.
State House Press Officer, Chikumbutso Mtomodzi, has defended the purchase of the Hummers, saying Land Rovers had now become irrelevant and outdated that the president needed something up to date.
Mtumodzi said Malawi's first president, Kamuzu Banda, used Land Rovers as part of his convoy. So did Muluzi. Why should Bingu?
However, what has raised the question as to whether Hummers are an electoral tool is the recent purchase of a Hummer by Peoples Progressive Movement (PPM) president Mark Katsonga Phiri.
Katsonga is, however, not contesting in the presidential electoral following his party's endorsement of Mutharika's candidature though the vehicle has raised some questions over the motive behind the purchase of a vehicle that has attracted conflicting views from political parties.
Katsonga Phiri has, nevertheless, indicated that the Hummer is for his private business missions and not political reasons. That is why, he says, he has registered it as Axa 1. Axa is the name of a bus company owned by Katsonga Phiri.
He is nevertheless using it to campaign for his Neno South Parliamentary seat (now vacant following dissolution of Malawi's parliament on March 20 as stipulated by the Republican constitution).
Political commentator Rafiq Hajat said the influence of the Hummers would be evaluated after May 19, and see whether they made any contribution towards swaying the much needed vote.
Hajat is Executive Director for the Institute for Policy Interaction. He comments on various issues in the country as he people and the media regard his institution as a think tank.
AEP/ Richard Chirombo
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