- Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika will face impeachment as ex-President and ruling UDF party leader Bakili Muluzi is setting aside kwacha 200 million (US$ 1.85 million) to buy the votes of Malawi member of parliament. Meanwhile, plans are made for the upcoming UDF National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Sunday to expel President Mutharika from the ruling party.
Ex-President Muluzi, who himself handpicked Mr Mutharika to succeed him in Malawi's presidency, continues his power struggle against the current President. While he is organising President Mutharika's possible expulsion from the ruling UDF party next Sunday, ex-President Muluzi is reportedly also canvassing for support from MPs to table a motion to impeach President Mutharika when Parliament convenes in March.
Information received by 'The Chronicle', Malawi's leading independent weekly, indicate that Mr Muluzi wants MPs from the UDF party to move a private members motion that will set a process of the impeachment of President Mutharika on the grounds that he has violated the principles of the Constitution and the written laws of the country.
'The Chronicle' has information to the effect that ex-President Muluzi has put aside over kwacha 200 million to buy support from MPs from the UDF, the opposition, mainly the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which has the largest number of MPs in Parliament. He also intends to target the independent MPs.
The money, according to inside sources, has been sourced from the Northern African City of Casablanca in Morocco and is stashed in an offshore account.
The sources said MPs who agree to support the motion will be given kwacha 2 million each so as to obtain the required two thirds majority for the motion to pass without too much of a hitch. Mr "Muluzi thinks [President] Mutharika will soon be on his neck so as to arrest him. He is now more determined than ever to get rid of the President, no matter the consequences," said one source.
In a bid to top up the money sourced from Morocco, sources say Mr Muluzi has sold hundreds of acres of land at ITG in Limbe (southern Malawi), and other plots in BCA Hill where his posh house is located. Sources say some of the grounds that ex-President Muluzi wants to be advanced for the planned impeachment of Malawi's current President are top level appointments which the President has made since he assumed power.
For instance, the appointment of Gustav Kaliwo as the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) who replaced Justice Michael Mtegha and DPP Ishmail Wadi who replaced Fahad Asani, who was unceremoniously dismissed from the post and the appointment of Mary Nangwale as the police chief, replacing Joseph Aironi, who was seen as a Mr Muluzi's ally.
Also, other possible impeachment reasons are; President Mutharika's resolve to rid the country of high level corruption which Mr Muluzi is having difficulty with and, recently in Mangochi he described the arrests as "arbitrary and political persecution" as it has affected most of his aides.
Meanwhile, sources say, a committee has been set up which is being co-chaired by UDF strategist and also deputy director of research, Humphrey Mvula and Brown Mpinganjira, formerly of the disbanded National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It is also reported that the committee's first task is to target all Malawian MPs who come from the Southern region to woo them into supporting the idea.
Included in the committee is former top cop who has just been rejected by the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of parliament for a diplomatic posting to Ethiopia, Joseph Aironi and the leader of the backbenchers in parliament, Leonard Mangulama.
When contacted, Mr Muluzi's spokesman Sam Mpasu acknowledged that the idea has been mooted but said it was not yet appropriate for Mr Muluzi and the UDF party to impeach President Mutharika. "But is not entirely true and at the moment it is just pure speculation, said Mr Mpasu adding; "After all, where is Parliament going to meet. It has no home," he joked.
This is not the first time for Mr Muluzi to canvass for support from the MPs to fulfil personal agendas. Between 2000 and 2003, the-President Muluzi was accused of spending millions of tax payer's money in buying support from MPs from the opposition to vote in favour of his failed Third Term and Open Term Bills despite widespread disapproval from Malawians.
UDF party sources say Mr Muluzi wants President Mutharika removed as Head of State so that his Vice Cassim Chilumpha, who has sided with Mr Muluzi, takes over as Malawi's President.
The Malawi Constitution under Section 86 says, the President or the first Vice President shall be removed from office where the President or the first Vice President has been indicted or convicted by impeachment.
The constitution further states that indictment and conviction by impeachment shall only be on the grounds of "serious violation" of the Constitution or a "serious breach of the written laws of the Republic" that either occurred or came to light during the term of office of the President or the first Vice President.
A constitutional analyst at Malawi's Chancellor College said the high profile appointments that President Mutharika has made and the firing of those who occupied those positions does not amount to a serious violation of the Constitution.
The analyst said, if anything, Mr Muluzi is the one who seriously violated the Constitution during his last five years in office. The Zomba-based analyst said he doubted serious minded MPs would support the motion to impeach "the popular President" Mutharika.
By Mundango Nyirenda, Chikondi Chiyembekeza & Levison
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