Mutharika faulted on Cabinet appointments
Member of Parliament (MP) for Mzimba West Harry Mkandawire has said the new set of Cabinet ministers appointed by President Peter Mutharika has exposed the regionalistic agenda of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led administration.
Making his contribution to the general debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered by Mutharika last week, Mkandawire said the new government’s nepotism will plunge the country into untold misery.
“Fifteen ministers out 20 are from the Southern Region and most of them from one tribal group. There can be no other case of nepotism and tribalism than this,” said Mkandawire.
He explained, amid interruptions from the Leader of the House, Francis Kasaila, that the President has chosen only two full ministers from the Northern Region and one from the Central Region.
“All evils of regionalism have
to do with the thinking that special virtues come with your region, and that’s something this government needs to get over,” he said.
Mkandawire expressed fear that this trend will jeopardise the democratic growth the country had started to achieve.
“For a leader to give more importance to their territorial region in comparison to other parts of the nation also compromises development. We know DPP as a government of quotas; why can’t you do the same in selecting ministers?” he wondered.
