In Malawi, President Bingu Wa Mutharika's administration hassharply denied he is engaged in an intimidation ploy against former PresidentBakili Muluzi ahead of the general election. This comes after the former leaderaccused the government of launching a fierce media attack on his bid to return to power after already serving two consecutiveyears as Malawi's president from 1994 to 2004.The government said theaccusation is apublicity stunt engineered by the former leader to garner sympathy votes in theelection. Malawians will go to the polls on May 19 to choose a president forthe next five years between incumbent President Muthairka's ruling DemocraticPeople's Party (DPP) and former President Muluzi's United Democratic Front(UDP). Speaking with reporter Peter Clottey, former President Muluzi called fora free election, saying he would not be intimidated in the election.
"WhatI can say is that my party, the United Democratic Front elected me as theirpresidential candidate last year on April 24 which meant that naturally I wasgoing to represent this party. But since then they (government) have beensaying oh Bakili Muluzi cannot stand or because the constitution does not allowhim to do so. Look, it is not correct. The constitution of the Republic ofMalawi is very clear. It does allow a president who was there two consecutiveterms and waits another five years can come back. It's open and it is there. Sothis has been going on for the last one year or so," Muluzi said.
Hesaid partisans of the opposition United Democratic Front are not happy aboutincumbent President Muluzi leaving the party to form his own DemocraticPeople's Party (DPP).
"Butmy supporters are very adamant that because Dr. Mutharika who was in UDF in myparty betrayed us by actually ditching the party that elected him into powerwent and form a political party, which never even contested an election andcalls is a ruling party, my supporters don't accept that," he said.
Muluzisaid he would continue to fight for his and the party's rights, adding that hewould not be intimidated by the incumbent and what he called the governmentmachinery.
"Oncethe constitution is very clear, why should somebody outside the constitutionsay I can't stand? What is there is that there is some very strange fear by thecurrent president (Mutharika) and by his supporters for me not to stand. Therehave been so many arrests of senior members of my party and that is not thedemocracy we voted for in 1994. But we are not going to be intimidated, let merepeat that again," Muluzi pointed out.
Hedenied speculations that his personal disagreements with incumbent PresidentMutharika are the main reason why he wants to win back power.
"Thatis not true. If Dr. Mutharika was still in the UDF the question I always askedis would I have been a candidate? The answer is no. So, it is not a personalkind of vendetta against Dr. Mutharika. It is because I wanted to make sure my party wins the next election. Wewon in 1994, we won in 1999, and my party won in 2004 with him (Mutharika) as apresidential candidate. So, it has nothing to do with personal matters at all.It is because we feel betrayed not only me but also all the supporters of thisparty," he said.
Muluzisaid the incumbent president does not understand the principles andfundamentals of democracy.
"Itis not democracy where a political party goes into an election through apolitical party and the president ditches that party that got him elected inthe first place in order to form his own party and call it the ruling party. Itis not acceptable, it is not," Muluzi noted.
Hedenied he is the only person who can win this year's election for hisopposition party.
"Ihaven't said that. All what I'm saying is that in my party, we believe in thedemocratic values in this country. In my party, we went through an election andeven the current vice president came to contest in that election for thepresidency in the party. Naturally I won almost 95 percent. What does that tellyou?" he asked.
The former president said he had recently discussed thesituation with an African Union delegation made up of Mozambique's formerPresident Joachim Chissano and Ghana's former President John Kufuor.
Muluzi, who wrested powerfrom dictator Kamuzu Banda in 1994, reluctantly handed power to Mutharika afterfailing to amend the constitution to allow him stand for a third consecutiveterm.
Muluzi is howeverconstitutionally barred to run for a presidential office after ruling thecountry for two consecutive terms in office. The Electoral Commission isexpected to rule on his eligibility in the coming days ahead of the election.