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afrol.com/AENS, 20 February - Millionaire Malawi politician James Makhumula quit the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) on Tuesday and launched a scathing attack on 'corrupt' and inefficient former colleagues. The outspoken parliamentarian, who once served as the UDF's treasurer general and helped fund its early election campaigns, accused President Bakili Muluzi of condoning fraud and corruption within his administration and of sponsoring a violent intimidation campaign against anyone who opposed his allies. Cabinet ministers and party appointees within the civil service were, he added, guilty of economic mismanagement and were directly responsible for growing unemployment and socio-economic crime in the country of roughly 10 million people. "I have been a victim of the State-sponsored violence, but refuse to be part and parcel of the dictatorship mismanagement of the UDF government any longer," Makhumula said on Tuesday. - This [government] is not what we fought for, and this is not what we agreed to in 1994 when the UDF was elected to power. Stressing that he was invoking his Constitutional right to keep his parliamentary seat as an independent representative for the old colonial capital of Zomba, Makhumula confirmed he was speaking to the opposition National Democratic Alliance lobby group. The NDA, which has yet to declare itself a political party, was established by ousted transport minister Brown Mpinganjira to fight President Muluzi's possible campaign for a third presidential term. The charismatic Mpinganjira was considered a contender for Muluzi's leadership of the UDF until he was ousted late last year for alleged criminal complicity in a US$ 2 million tender scam. He was, however, acquitted by the country's High Court on January 16 due to a lack of evidence, and is focusing on building the NDA into a broad umbrella opposition alliance. Makhumula said on Tuesday he was considering lending support to the lobby group once he obtained assurance that it supported his own stance against "bad governance". UDF secretary general Katenga Kaunda refused to comment on Makhumula's apparent defection, insisting that party had not yet received a formal written resignation letter. The resignation is expected to further dent the UDF's tarnished public image, which has already been bruised by a series of widely-publicised judicial and international human rights criticisms of its obligation to free political activity. These include High Court criticism of police attacks on opposition rallies and an unpopular bid to change the constitution to allow Muluzi a third term in the presidency. Mounting public and international criticism saw Malawi information minister and chief government spokesman, Clement Stambuli, announce last month that Muluzi would honour existing constitutional restrictions limiting presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. "The ruling United Democratic Front, of which Muluzi is president, has also just reviewed its own internal constitution to include the same limitation. We would not do this if there were plans for Muluzi to run for a third term as national president," Stambuli that the country's national radio. The denials contradict public statements a string of senior UDF leaders, including Blantyre mayor John Chikakwiya, who told a rally that Muluzi would seek re-election despite criticism from opposition parties and local human rights watchdogs. UDF parliamentarian Elwin Maluwa added that the party was already preparing a notion to change the constitution, and insisted Malawi's electorate should be allowed to democratically decide whether they wanted Muluzi for a third term. Makhumula's possible financial and organisational support for the NDA would significantly boost the capacity of Malawi's largely ineffectual opposition. Makhumula rose to prominence as a key financier for the UDF during its 1994 election battle against late dictator Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda's Malawi Congress Party (MCP). He has since held a series of ministerial seats, before being sidelined as a backbencher representing the influential Zomba constituency. By Brian Ligomeka, African Eye News Service (AENS)
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