DPP regrets British envoy expulsion—Chaponda
task government
Malawi Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda says the country’s worst fuel crisis during former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration was orchestrated by the expulsion of former British High Commissioner Fergus Cochraine-Dyet.
Previously, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration had blamed increasing demand for fuel and forex as the cause of the crisis.
It is the first time a senior member of the current administration and former close ally of the late Mutharika has admitted to the impact of the expulsion on the economy.
Speaking in Lilongwe to journalists on Thursday on the sidelines of a cocktail to honour departing American ambassador Jeanine Jackson and celebration of the United States independence, Chaponda said the new DPP administration will never repeat such actions.
“President Peter Mutharika has made it very clear that we should have good relations with donors and development partners, although we now have a zero-aid budget,” said Chaponda.
While admitting the expulsion was a diplomatic failure, Chaponda said the DPP’s first stint in power achieved many accomplishments, which must not be overshadowed by the sole decision on Cochraine-Dyet.
Meanwhile, he hailed Jackson as a great friend of the country whose tenure contributed to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
On her part, Jackson said she was optimistic relations between the two countries will continue to strength, but said the country should do more to improve on good governance and open government.
“Malawi is on the right truck, but there is a long way to go. A lot of us talk about good governance, but why not aim for greater governance? Malawi committed to open government partnership and I expect Malawians to hold this government accountable,” said Jackson.
Jackson leaves the country at the end of the month for Washington. She has previously worked in Iraq, Burkina Faso, Switzeland, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong after retiring from the military.
