Bingu Leaves Parliamentary Position Aspirants Out

AEP/Richard Chirombo

President Bingu wa Mutharika has left Democratic Progressive Party nominees for Parliamentary positions out of his cabinet announced Thursday.

Analysts have described the development as an indication of the president's faith in his newly-attained majority status in parliament. This contradicts trends in the past five years of his administration when DPP nominees would retain their positions till the last hour. It was not uncommon to have the opposition dominated parliament reject Mutharika's appointments.

But the DPP can now manage to nominate people for various positions in government as consider them as good as endorsed.

"The president knows that he has a majority in Parliament and can do as he so pleases. That is why he has left out (of cabinet) people nominated by the party for positions of Speaker of Parliament, deputies, and other positions," said Rafiq Hajat, Executive Director for the Institute for Policy Interaction.

ADPP caucus held recently proposed party Secretary General, Henry Chimunthu Banda for the position of Speaker, as well as his two deputies. Chimunthu Banda has never been left out of cabinet for the past five years, but misses out of Mutharika's new cabinet.

Mutharika has also appointed an Inspector General (IG) of Police who he has already started referring to as IG, and not Acting IG.

Hajat said, as Mutharika's confidence grows, so will his zeal for development. But others fear he might abuse his powers- assertions clashed by DPP Spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba.

While Mutharika has left Chimunthu Banda, and other proposed names for Parliamentary positions, pressure is now growing for Chimunthu Banda to relinquish his DPP GS role.

Analysts say this will help improve the impartiality of the Speakers' office- which calls for impartiality and non-accountability to sponsoring parties.