Britain welcomes Mutharika government with caution
Britain has pledged to work with the new Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government led by Peter Mutharika, saying it will be watching the commitments to good governance and how it fights corruption.
The previous DPP government of Bingu wa Mutharika, Peter’s brother, expelled British envoy Fergus Cochrane-Dyet after he allegedly reported that Bingu had developed intolerant and despotic tendencies.
But commenting on the outlook of his government’s relationship following DPP’s return to power at a function to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 88th birthday in Lilongwe Thursday night, British High Commissioner Michael Nevin said Britain has a good relationship with the new President.
“I have already been asked, given recent regrettable history between the British government and the former DPP administration, how relations will be between our two governments. I can say that we have a good relationship with the President and look forward to working with his government,” he said.
Nevin, however, said his government will be watching how the new DPP government will demonstrate its commitments to human rights and good governance, combating corruption and impunity, democratic values and practice.
“That is perhaps to be expected given the concerns that existed in the latter half of the former DPP administration,” Nevin said.
On Mutharika’s pledge to ensure independence of the police, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Nevin recommended that the institutions be adequately funded to enable them to do their job effectively in the wake of the plunder of public resources dubbed Cashgate.
Britain also pledged to support continuing investigations into Cashgate.
The envoy described the just-ended elections as credible and transparent but recommended a change to the electoral laws going forward to deal with political party participation at the electoral body but also changing laws on party and campaign financing.
Government representative at the function, Goodall Gondwe, said under the new DPP administration, there will be total adherence to constitutionalism and rule of law.
“We hope there will be a review of the much required assistance that had been there before,” said Gondwe, commenting on the status of frozen budgetary support by Britain.
He added that Mutharika’s government would establish the credibility of governance institutions while developing a sound economic environment so that those able contribute to its growth are not impeded.
Elections are always a good time to reflect and renew. However, it is a pointless exercise if Malawi will just use these elections as ceremonial musical chairs. There is need to usher in deep soul searching and critical thought process to bring real economic change.
Malawi must set clear development priorities and designate development projects as i) critical and ii) nice to have. Projects of critical national importance such as supporting the growth of the productive sector must not be finance by Dfid Aid please. At any time now Dfid will freeze its aid for one good reason or another. However, the development of Malawi economy cannot be left to the whimsical temperament of Dfid aid. Please use Dfid only on non mission critical development projects such as maybe safeguarding Chikangawa forest, human right surveys, vertical gardens experiments or borehole development; areas away from real national development programs where aid freeze will be of no consequence. This is only common sense having seen the number of aid freezes Dfid has imposed on Malawi since 1994. Malawi must dismantle CABS where it is easy for it to mobilise other countries to join in to isolate Malawi. This CABS alliance against poor Malawi is in human to the core and it must be dismantled, legislated against at the UN.
If nations want to help human rights abuses in Malawi then sure there are more humane ways such as taking those implicated to the Hague not imposing AID freeze that damages the whole Malawi economy indiscriminately and doubles abject poverty. For example in 2011-12 the Malawi economy GDP shrunk from $5.7bn to $4.2 bn with countless deaths dues to shortage of commodities and medicine as a result of aid freeze. That is not a civilised solution to uncivil causes.
Malawi needs boost in large scale investment Manufacturing productive sector and yet the CABS program is diverting the national agenda away from this real solution of industrialisation. Extractive industries such as mining are just exploiting Malawi natural resources. The EU must come clean and genuinely promise to help Malawi develop not just perpetuate abject poverty by promoting all things but productive sectors. Billions spent on non productive sector will never develop a country. The EU knows social issues/subsistence agriculture can never develop a country so why continue hoodwinking Malawians with millions of aid that takes them away from the focus point of manufacturing investment. Time to change course Malawians! Industry is what built Europe and you are being hoodwinked to stay in the dark and in abject poverty. Asia has done it! Industrial revolution now!!