APM accused of arrogance

President Peter M u t h a r i k a ’ s outbursts about speculation of his health during Friday ’s news conference at Kamuzu Palace has attracted accusations of ‘Executive arrogance’ from political commentators and civil society.

But ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Francis Kasai la, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, yesterday described the criticism of the President as cheap score settling by anti-government individuals.

Mutharika on Friday took to town Malawians questioning his health and his prolonged stay in the United States (US) where he travelled to attend the United Nations General Assembly (Unga), but admitted that he had not been feeling well on the right shoulder.

The President who said he was only suffering from rheumatism, attacked sections of the media for creating anxiety over his status.

But University of Malawi political commentator Boniface Dulani yesterday described the President’s actions and sentiments as nothing short of ‘Executive arrogance’ and urged government to stop taking the citizenry for ride–further rebuking the presidency for creating the anxiety now being blamed on the media and citizenry.

“I think government should stop treating people with this arrogance.

The ministers were fully aware of what was going on but chose not to tell the people the truth. What these people must know is that they are paid using tax and the taxpayers have every right to find out how their money is being used.

“The fact of the matter is people were speculating about the health status of the President and government denied it only for the President to admit that he was indeed having health problems. The President might choose to downplay his illness by claiming it was just nyamakazi [rheumatism], but the fact that it made him prolong his stay in the US is worrying enough,” said Dulani.

The commentator was also not amused by Mutharika’s remarks that had he wanted he would have remained in the United States to be attended by the best medical support systems in the world, adding such remarks also display contempt of the plight of many suffering Malawians with no such luxuries, but condemned to failing health services in perennially underfunded public hospitals.

“Such a statement is an indictment of the situation in the country and what the leadership makes of the situation. It shows a disconnect,” added Dulani.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) honorary secretary Khumbo Bonzoe Soko said the presidency ’s decision to create an information blackout was in contradiction with the spirit of the Constitution which calls for open and transparent government.

“While legally one may struggle to say this move was illegal or not what is clear is that the information blackout is worrisome in this regard: the public deserve to know what their duty-bearers are doing, especially the President.

It is in keeping with the spirit of [ensuring an] open and transparent government the Constitution sets to achieve.

So, what we have seen through the information blackout on the sickness of the President is very worrisome,” said Soko.

Billy Mayaya, a civil rights activist, said the cover up on the President’s health was more questionable and worrying than the rumours and speculation it created.

“As first citizen, his late admission of sickness coupled with the government’s complicity in the cover up is deplorable to say the least. The health of a President needs to be made public given the dire consequences of keeping such information under wraps, namely the rumours and innuendo that follow,” said Mayaya.

Op p o s i t i o n M a l a w I Congress Party (MCP) deputy spokesperson Ezekiel Ching’oma said the Friday’s conference still left many questions unanswered about Mutharika ’s health and as party, MCP still demands answers on the exact condition of the President.

“The President belongs to us all Malawians. When one becomes a President they forfeit the luxury of being a very private

citizen who may wish to do everything privately. His long stay and without a word in the US, was not a cause for worry

only to the opposition, but to every Malawian who meant well.

The thing is, the rumour that the President wasn’t feeling well in the foreign land was very loud in

the ears of every citizen. In that way, it was right and proper for the government to furnish the citizens with right and accurate information,” said Ching’oma.

Ching’oma also dismissed Mutharika’s comments that the speculation about his health was due to malice, saying information vacuum on very crucial matters is recipe for trouble.

But Kasaila yesterday rejected assertions that there had been an information blackout and repeated criticism of the media’s handling of the illness, saying from the word go, government has been consistent that the President was in good health and working.

“The President has given a very clear account of what he was doing and clarified that he was not sick so any talk of illness is based on wrong premises. As DPP, we don’t have time for this game of scoring cheap political mileage. We have moved on. Unfortunately, you in the media are being used by political parties to advance their agenda and if you want to obsess on this, well, as DPP we have no time for it,” said Kasaila.

The 76-year-old Mutharika’s absence from the country without any information for three weeks sparked intense speculation about his health and whereabouts. He finally made a public address on Friday and conceded he had a health

problem that led to his absence from office.

Throughout his absence from public life, Mutharika’s press team and government insisted that he was working in the US, courting investors, among other activities, and speculation mounted as State media which had accompanied Mutharika for the Unga, failed to report on any of his additional engagements and a twitter campaigned hashtaged  BringBackMutharika-a play on the campaign to free Nigeria’s Chibok abducted girls #BringBackourGirls—attracted global attention to the announced absence of the Malawi leader.