As President Bingu wa Mutharika's minority party faces the possibility of losing more seats in parliament, Malawi's civil society has expressed concern that this year's budget, expected to be presented next week, might be stalled.
Last week, Malawi's Supreme Court granted powers to the Speaker of Parliament to expel defecting lawmakers, a decision that would affect the strength of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has welcomed 60 defectors into its fold, bringing its tally of members in parliament to 80. The opposition, with about 110 seats, is the largest bloc in parliament.
"The budget might not be passed," commented Richard Tambulasi, head of the department of political and administrative studies in the University of Malawi. The court ruling has pushed the ruling DPP into a tight corner and "created political instability", he added.
According to Felix Lombe, a conflict analyst with the Forum for Dialogue and Peace, a programme run by GTZ, the German Development Agency's technical arm, "the opposition is likely to use its muscle to defer votes on expenditure - there will be a delay in the allocation of funds to projects and programmes".
Mutharika has spent almost three conflict-ridden years in power, at the centre of a tense standoff with the opposition that has stalled the functioning of the house and delayed the approval of bills.
The political crisis began when Mutharika left the United Democratic Front (UDF), shortly after it sponsored him in the 2004 general elections, to form his own political organisation, the DPP. The UDF hit back with an impeachment charge, accusing Mutharika of using US$300,000 of public money to launch the DPP.
The political confrontation at the height of a food security crisis in Malawi in 2005 even aroused the donor community's concern. Donors wrote to opposition political leaders, voicing their anxiety over the impeachment proceedings while the country was experiencing a "serious and prolonged food crisis".
Louis Chimango, Speaker of the house and a member of the opposition Malawi Congress Party, has reportedly not indicated whether he would go ahead with the dismissals.
Likely scenarios
Tambulasi said the affected members of parliament (MPs) were likely to lodge an appeal against the court decision, "which could possibly buy them time till the general elections in 2009".
"I don't think anyone wants by-elections, as the firing of the MPs would prompt that, because the country cannot afford them right now. It would also be pointless to have election now, when 2009 is only about a year away," he said.
Lombe said the opposition was not geared for an election and were unlikely to press for it, but "they might make a bid to oust Mutharika through the impeachment process again."
Mutharika survived the impeachment motion after the Constitutional Court blocked the move.
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Ex-dictator’s ally named Malawi chief justice
Malawi’s president has appointed a former justice minister under late dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda as the country’s new chief justice, his office said today.
Lovemore Munlo, 57, who until April was registrar of the United Nations’ Special Court for Sierra Leone, will replace Leonard Unyolo who retires at the end of this month, the statement from President Bingu wa Mutharika’s office said.
Judges in Malawi retire at the age of 65, but Unyolo, due to retire next year, "has opted to go early," said high court registrar Sylvester Kalembera.
Munlo, who has also served as registrar of the UN Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, rose through the ranks in the Malawian justice ministry before Banda appointed him minister of justice and attorney general in the early 1990s.
Banda, who ruled the country with an iron fist for three decades until he lost the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, later appointed Munlo secretary general of the once-powerful Malawi Congress Party.
"It will be quite a challenging assignment and I feel honoured to come back and work among my own people. It will be much more meaningful than working outside the country," Munlo said.
Lovemore Munlo, 57, who until April was registrar of the United Nations’ Special Court for Sierra Leone, will replace Leonard Unyolo who retires at the end of this month, the statement from President Bingu wa Mutharika’s office said.
Judges in Malawi retire at the age of 65, but Unyolo, due to retire next year, "has opted to go early," said high court registrar Sylvester Kalembera.
Munlo, who has also served as registrar of the UN Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, rose through the ranks in the Malawian justice ministry before Banda appointed him minister of justice and attorney general in the early 1990s.
Banda, who ruled the country with an iron fist for three decades until he lost the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, later appointed Munlo secretary general of the once-powerful Malawi Congress Party.
"It will be quite a challenging assignment and I feel honoured to come back and work among my own people. It will be much more meaningful than working outside the country," Munlo said.
Coulsdon man among Malawi crash victims
A Coulsdon man was among five British tourists killed when their plane crashed in northern Malawi.
David Murrell, 45, was part of a group of eight cyclists and squash players who were on holiday together.
The Cessna aircraft had been heading from Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, to the north of the country, when it crashed in a river valley on Saturday afternoon. There were no survivors.
advertisementAn investigation has been launched into the cause of the incident, which is believed to have happened in bad weather.
The four other British tourists killed in the crash have been named as Daniel Turnberg, 37, of north London - son of Labour peer Lord Turnberg - sales director Nigel Clout, 53, from Hemel Hempstead and husband and wife Colin and Dawn Rollins from Norwich.
The Canadian pilot has not yet been identified.
Did you know Mr Murrell? Leave your tributes below.
David Murrell, 45, was part of a group of eight cyclists and squash players who were on holiday together.
The Cessna aircraft had been heading from Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, to the north of the country, when it crashed in a river valley on Saturday afternoon. There were no survivors.
advertisementAn investigation has been launched into the cause of the incident, which is believed to have happened in bad weather.
The four other British tourists killed in the crash have been named as Daniel Turnberg, 37, of north London - son of Labour peer Lord Turnberg - sales director Nigel Clout, 53, from Hemel Hempstead and husband and wife Colin and Dawn Rollins from Norwich.
The Canadian pilot has not yet been identified.
Did you know Mr Murrell? Leave your tributes below.
Peer's son among dead in Malawi plane crash
The names of the five British tourists killed in a plane crash in Malawi over the weekend were released yesterday as reports indicated they belonged to a larger group of sporting fans who were holidaying in the region.
The six-seater Cessna took off from the capital Lilongwe early Saturday afternoon and headed towards the Nkiya National Park in the north of the country but crashed shortly after 2pm. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched but early indications suggest bad weather may have been to blame.
The dead were named as: Nigel Clout, 53, Daniel Turnberg, 37, from north London, Dawn Rollins and Colin Smith, a married couple from Norwich, and David Murrell, 45. The Canadian pilot was named by the company that chartered the flight as John Debbins. Dr Turnberg was the son of a Labour peer, Lord Turnberg of Cheadle.
Colleagues of Mr Clout, a sales director from Hemel Hempstead who had two children, paid tribute to him yesterday. Simon Fennell, a colleague, said: " When we heard about the plane crash, we were just hoping against hope. His was a very close family. Nigel was always talking about his wife and family and was very proud of his daughters."
Mr Clout's two daughters, in their mid-twenties, were being comforted at the family home by their mother Margaret.
The accident occurred on the 2,600 metre Nyika Plateau, a vast expanse of grassland that is a major draw for the small numbers of tourists to Malawi. Roads across the region are in particularly poor condition and tourists often take short and relatively inexpensive flights to cut down on travelling time.
The six-seater Cessna took off from the capital Lilongwe early Saturday afternoon and headed towards the Nkiya National Park in the north of the country but crashed shortly after 2pm. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched but early indications suggest bad weather may have been to blame.
The dead were named as: Nigel Clout, 53, Daniel Turnberg, 37, from north London, Dawn Rollins and Colin Smith, a married couple from Norwich, and David Murrell, 45. The Canadian pilot was named by the company that chartered the flight as John Debbins. Dr Turnberg was the son of a Labour peer, Lord Turnberg of Cheadle.
Colleagues of Mr Clout, a sales director from Hemel Hempstead who had two children, paid tribute to him yesterday. Simon Fennell, a colleague, said: " When we heard about the plane crash, we were just hoping against hope. His was a very close family. Nigel was always talking about his wife and family and was very proud of his daughters."
Mr Clout's two daughters, in their mid-twenties, were being comforted at the family home by their mother Margaret.
The accident occurred on the 2,600 metre Nyika Plateau, a vast expanse of grassland that is a major draw for the small numbers of tourists to Malawi. Roads across the region are in particularly poor condition and tourists often take short and relatively inexpensive flights to cut down on travelling time.
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