"GOVERNMENT OF RECONCILIATION" NOT YET CERTAIN

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000493

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: "GOVERNMENT OF RECONCILIATION" NOT YET CERTAIN

REF: LILONGWE 488

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (SBU) Eighteen days after his controversial election,
President Bingu wa Mutharika has still to appoint a cabinet.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President and Cabinet has
postponed the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of
Parliament (ostensibly over legal technicalities). The
delayed appointment of a cabinet and the postponed election
of the Speaker indicate that the ruling United Democratic
Front (UDF) is not yet confident in the viability of its
"government of reconciliation," which was designed to give it
a working majority in Parliament. END SUMMARY.

SPEAKER'S ELECTION POSTPONED
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2. (U) On the eve of the June 7 swearing-in and orientation
of new parliamentarians, the Clerk of Parliament announced
that pursuant to a letter from the Secretary of the Office of
President and Cabinet (OPC),Parliament's leadership will not
be elected until the President officially calls the first
session of Parliament. The OPC statement indicated that the
Constitution requires the Speaker and Deputy Speakers to be
elected at the first session of Parliament and not at an
"unofficial" organizational meeting, as had been previously
announced.

STILL NO CABINET
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3. (SBU) Yet to announce his cabinet, President Bingu wa
Mutharika, along with United Democratic Front (UDF) chairman
Bakili Muluzi, continues to seek support from independents
and opposition MPs to gain a working majority in Parliament.
The UDF's June 3 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with the Republican Party (RP) and the Movement for
Genuine Democratic Change (MGODE) has garnered the UDF
several seats in the House and has cost it at least five
cabinet level-positions (reftel). In addition, a Blantyre
business contact told econoff that Muluzi has been soliciting
funds from business leaders in the U.K. and South Africa in
order to secure a majority in the House.

COMMENT
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4. (SBU) It is unclear which RP and MGODE officials will
receive cabinet-level positions. RP President Gwanda
Chakuamba, who was thought to be interested in the Second
Vice Presidency, maintains that he plans "to retire from
politics."


5. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Bartering for parliamentarians'
support is ongoing, and it is clearly getting expensive. The
delay in announcing the cabinet and OPC's directive to
postpone the election of Parliament's leadership (while
technically a legal question) indicate that the UDF has not
yet acquired the majority it seeks. END COMMENT
DOUGHERTY