Malawi's Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) candidate and winner of the presidential
election Peter Mutharika gives a press conference on May 24, 2014
Peter Mutharika, who was on Friday declared
the winner of Malawi’s disputed presidential election, is set to take
the reins of the impoverished southern African country under the shadow
of a treason charge.
The 74-year-old brother of former president
Bingu wa Mutharika is accused of attempting to conceal his brother’s
death in office two years ago in an attempt to prevent Joyce Banda —
then vice-president — from assuming power.
Banda prevailed and took office as decreed by the constitution, booting the former foreign minister out of the administration, but Mutharika beat her soundly in the May 20 election.
The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP), Mutharika and other senior officials face additional counts of inciting a mutiny and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The trial is still pending, but analysts say it is likely the case will be set aside as Malawi’s presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution as long as they are in office.
There is speculation that once Mutharika is in power he will turn the tables on Banda and have her charged with corruption over a $30 million graft scandal dubbed “Cashgate”.
Banda has claimed the credit for uncovering the fraud, which saw aid money syphoned into top government officials’ pockets. But critics, including Mutharika, say the funds went into her party’s election war-chest.
“Banda did everything in her power to prevent Mutharika from becoming president… and then bringing charges against her,” said Clive Gabay of the Queen Mary University of London.
Mutharika, a law professor who spent most of his time abroad, actively entered Malawi politics in 2009 when he was elected to parliament and was appointed justice minister.
He later held other portfolios including education and foreign affairs.
He has said he will not pursue trickle-down economics, but will implement “bottom-up economics aimed at getting the poor out of poverty into prosperity”.
The academic turned politician has a daunting task ahead of him in re-building the ailing economy and wooing foreign donors who imposed a partial aid freeze over “Cashgate”.
His leadership style in government, outside his older brother’s shadow, remains something of a mystery, analysts say.
“He is a man of few words — with him we don’t know what to expect,” said Boniface Dulani of the University of Malawi.
“He did not really make much of an impact during his time in parliament. He hardly spoke.”
While Mutharika was minister of education in 2011 the University of Malawi faced a crisis, resulting in a lengthy closure, after three academics were fired over comments made in class.
One had suggested that an “Arab spring” could come to Malawi.
“During that critical period which compromised academic freedom, Mutharika failed to show leadership,” said Dulani.
He was later moved to foreign affairs.
With law degrees from the University of London and Yale, Mutharika left Malawi in the 1960s to settle in the United States.
He returned to the country in 1993 to help draft the country’s first democratic constitution after the fall of Kamuzu Banda’s dictatorship.
He went back to the United States but returned home in 2004 when his brother came to power.
A widower for 30 years, Mutharika has three children who all live in the United States.
His election makes him Malawi’s fifth president since independence from Britain in 1964.
Source-AFP
Banda prevailed and took office as decreed by the constitution, booting the former foreign minister out of the administration, but Mutharika beat her soundly in the May 20 election.
The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP), Mutharika and other senior officials face additional counts of inciting a mutiny and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The trial is still pending, but analysts say it is likely the case will be set aside as Malawi’s presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution as long as they are in office.
There is speculation that once Mutharika is in power he will turn the tables on Banda and have her charged with corruption over a $30 million graft scandal dubbed “Cashgate”.
Banda has claimed the credit for uncovering the fraud, which saw aid money syphoned into top government officials’ pockets. But critics, including Mutharika, say the funds went into her party’s election war-chest.
“Banda did everything in her power to prevent Mutharika from becoming president… and then bringing charges against her,” said Clive Gabay of the Queen Mary University of London.
Mutharika, a law professor who spent most of his time abroad, actively entered Malawi politics in 2009 when he was elected to parliament and was appointed justice minister.
He later held other portfolios including education and foreign affairs.
He has said he will not pursue trickle-down economics, but will implement “bottom-up economics aimed at getting the poor out of poverty into prosperity”.
The academic turned politician has a daunting task ahead of him in re-building the ailing economy and wooing foreign donors who imposed a partial aid freeze over “Cashgate”.
His leadership style in government, outside his older brother’s shadow, remains something of a mystery, analysts say.
“He is a man of few words — with him we don’t know what to expect,” said Boniface Dulani of the University of Malawi.
“He did not really make much of an impact during his time in parliament. He hardly spoke.”
While Mutharika was minister of education in 2011 the University of Malawi faced a crisis, resulting in a lengthy closure, after three academics were fired over comments made in class.
One had suggested that an “Arab spring” could come to Malawi.
“During that critical period which compromised academic freedom, Mutharika failed to show leadership,” said Dulani.
He was later moved to foreign affairs.
With law degrees from the University of London and Yale, Mutharika left Malawi in the 1960s to settle in the United States.
He returned to the country in 1993 to help draft the country’s first democratic constitution after the fall of Kamuzu Banda’s dictatorship.
He went back to the United States but returned home in 2004 when his brother came to power.
A widower for 30 years, Mutharika has three children who all live in the United States.
His election makes him Malawi’s fifth president since independence from Britain in 1964.
Source-AFP
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