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| Malawians go to polls Tuesday in closest-ever polls
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By Raphael Tenthani,
PANA Correspondent
Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) -
Malawi's registered 5.9 million voters go to the polls
Tuesday in the southern African country's
tightest of races, pitting incumbent president Bingu wa Mutharika against a unit
ed opposition.
The 75-year-old economist-turned-politician has John Zenus Ungapake Tembo, 77, a
s his main challenger. Tembo's Malawi
Congress Party (MCP) has been the country's main opposition party since it lost
power 15 years ago after being at the
helm of Malawi politics for 30 years under the one-party dictatorship of foundin
g president Hasings Kamuzu Banda.
The MCP has joined forces with the second opposition United Democratic Front (UD
F) after its presidential candidate, former
president Bakili Muluzi, was stopped from contesting the elections by the Malawi
Electoral Commission on the premise that he
had already served as president for the constitutional two five-year terms.
Muluzi, whose appeal to overturn the Commission's decision was rejected at the w
eekend, has vowed to oust his
friend-turned-foe Mutharika 'for being ungrateful'.
Muluzi personally anointed the economist to lead the UDF at the 2004 polls but t
he new president jumped ship nine months into
his presidency, citing the UDF leadership frowning at his tough anti-corruption
drive as reason.
Muluzi and several former senior government officials, including former Finance
Minister Friday Jumbe, are currently
answering several fraud and corruption case. Muluzi is also answering charges of
siphoning into his personal bank account
about US$11 million from donor countries when he was president.
"Bingu would never have been president had it not been for me," he said. "I cann
ot fail to deflate a tyre I personally inflated. Come Tuesday
he is out of State House. Even if I am not taking part in these elections I stil
l have influence on its outcome. I have teamed up with
the Right Honourable JZU Tembo because we want to unite the country that has bee
n divided because of Bingu's disregard to the rule
of law. We want to restore order," the former president said.
Among others, Muluzi accuses Mutharika of disregard to Parliament decisions, fir
ing government officials anyhow and arresting
opponents with reckless abandon on "trumped up charges like fraud, corruption an
d treason".
Apart from the fraud and corruption charges, several of Muluzi's political aides
and allies - including Muluzi himself and Vice-President Cassim
Chilumpha - are also answering treason cases for allegedly plotting to assassina
te the president.
But Mutharika, who founded his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after quit
ing the UDF, believes he will have his
mandate to rule Malawi consolidated because his rule has translated.
"I will let the work of my hands speak for me," he said. "Apart from removing me
, the opposition has no agenda for the nation.
Within the shortest of times we have built several roads and other infrastructur
e," he said.
Mutharika, an India and US-trained development economist, has been praised by We
stern donor nation for his fiscal discipline
which has seen the southern African nation's agro-based economy grow by upwards
of eight per cent this year, becoming the
world highest growth after the oil-rich gulf state of Qatar.
In all, seven candidates - including Malawi's first ever woman presidential aspi
rant Loveness Gondwe and an independent,
James Nyondo - are running for president.
The voters will also elect members of the 193-member parliament. Polls were to
open at 6 am (0400 hrs GMT) and close at 6
pm (1800hrs GMT), and results were expected by Thursday 21 May.
Mutharika, who had a long career at the World Bank, the Economic Commission of A
frica and the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) -
the precursor to the Common Market of the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMES) fo
r which he was its founding Secretary
General - promised he would retire from active politics if he loses Tuesday or,
if he wins a second term, in 2014.
"The presidency is like a relay race," he said. "When you run your bit you give
it to the other to continue."
But with the ringing endorsement by Muluzi, whose UDF is popular in the populous
Southern Region, Tembo sees no reason why
Mutharika and his new DPP that has never been tested in a national election can
win come Tuesday.
"The MCP brings experience to Malawi politics," he said. "I belong to the past,
I belong to the president and I also belong
to the future. We are well geared and determined to bring genuine socio-economic
development to Malawi."
The former teacher and pastor's son, Tembo held a number of important positions
during the Banda regime, including becoming
the longest serving central bank chief.
Analysts said this would be the closest election ever since the re-introduction
of multiparty politics in Malawi in 1994.
Whoever wins between Mutharika and Tembo, Tuesday's elections will bring to an e
nd the long dominance of the 'Banda boys', since most of them will be in their
80s by the next elections in 2014.
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| Blantyre - 17/05/2009 |
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