Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05LILONGWE738
2005-08-26 09:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

(C) MUTHARIKA ON REFORM AND POLITICS

Tags:  PREL PGOV KMCA EAID MI 
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260956Z Aug 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000738 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KMCA EAID MI
SUBJECT: (C) MUTHARIKA ON REFORM AND POLITICS


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ALAN W. EASTHAM for reasons 1.5 b and d

C O N F I D E N T I A L LILONGWE 000738

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KMCA EAID MI
SUBJECT: (C) MUTHARIKA ON REFORM AND POLITICS


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ALAN W. EASTHAM for reasons 1.5 b and d


1. (U) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR PRESENTED CREDENTIALS TO
PRESIDENT BINGU WA MUTHARIKA ON AUGUST 25, 2005. DURING THE
TRADITIONAL ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION AFTER THE FORMAL
CEREMONY, PRESIDENT MUTHARIKA EXPOUNDED AT LENGTH ON HIS
PROGRAM (SELF-RELIANCE) AND MALAWI POLITICS (STALEMATED IN
PARLIAMENT),AND EMPHASIZED A MESSAGE OF COOPERATION WITH THE
UNITED STATES. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) FOLLOWING THE FORMAL CEREMONY OF PRESENTATION OF
CREDENTIALS ON AUGUST 25, THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH PRESIDENT
MUTHARIKA ONE-ON-ONE. AFTER PRESIDENT MUTHARIKA'S WELCOME,
THE AMBASSADOR BRIEFLY OUTLINED HIS INTENTION TO STRESS
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MALAWI IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
TO PRE-EMPT A QUESTION, THE AMBASSADOR TOLD MUTHARIKA THAT
THE NEWEST AREA OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
ACCOUNT THRESHOLD PROPOSAL, WAS UNDER VERY ACTIVE
CONSIDERATION IN WASHINGTON AND THAT HE HOPED THERE WOULD BE
GOOD NEWS IN A FEW DAYS.


3. (C) PRESIDENT MUTHARIKA USED THE ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION TO
DESCRIBE HIS APPROACH TO MALAWI'S GOVERNANCE. REFERRING TO
THE RECENTLY-APPROVED IMF POVERTY REDUCTION AND GROWTH
FACILITY (PRGF),MUTHARIKA EMPHASIZED THAT HE HAD TOLD BOTH
HIS GOVERNMENT AND THE IMF THAT THE PROGRAM "SHOULD BE A
MALAWI PROGRAM WITH IMF SUPPORT, NOT AN IMF PROGRAM FOR
MALAWI." THE PROGRAM WOULD SUCCEED OR FAIL BECAUSE OF WHAT
MALAWI WILL DO. "OWNERSHIP," HE SAID, HAD TO BE VESTED IN
MALAWIANS. HE EMPHASIZED THAT HIS OBJECTIVE WAS TO CHANGE
THE EXISTING MENTALITY, FROM A COUNTRY THAT EXPECTED
ASSISTANCE IN ALL SECTORS TO A COUNTRY THAT TOOK ACTION ON
ITS OWN AND CONTROLLED ITS OWN FUTURE.


4. (C) TURNING TO POLITICS, THE PRESIDENT USED THE ANALOGY
OF A RELAY RACE, SAYING THIS WAS THE LANGUAGE HE HAD USED TO
EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO HIS COUNTERPARTS AT THE RECENT SADC
SUMMIT IN BOTSWANA. THE POINT OF MULTIPARTY POLITICS, HE
SAID, WAS FOR ONE RUNNER TO HAND THE BATON TO ANOTHER. IF
THE RUNNER HANDS THE BATON AND MAINTAINS HIS GRIP, THE RACE
IS LOST. HIS PREDECESSOR BAKILI MULUZI WAS USING OPPOSITION
IN PARLIAMENT TO GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AS HIS MEANS OF
GRIPPING THE BATON, AND THIS MADE THINGS VERY DIFFICULT FOR
THE GOVERNMENT. TALK OF IMPEACHMENT WAS ANOTHER MULUZI
TACTIC. MUTHARIKA ANALYZED THE PARLIAMENTARY LANDSCAPE
BRIEFLY, NOTING THAT WHEN PARLIAMENT DISPPROVED THE
GOVERNMENT'S NOMINEE TO HEAD THE POLICE, THE LOSS WOULD HAVE
BEEN BY ONLY ONE VOTE IF THREE ABSENT MUTHARIKA SUPPORTERS
HAD BEEN ON HAND. HE LAMENTED THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE
A MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT BUT ADDED THAT WITHOUT A TWO-THIRDS
MAJORITY ON THE OPPOSITION SIDE, "THEY CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING."


5. (C) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONVERSATION, MUTHARIKA
OFFERED DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE CLOSE AND SUBSTANTIVE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MALAWI. HE WELCOMED THE
PROSPECT OF COLLABORATION IN THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
CONTEXT, AND SAID THAT WHEN THE UNITED STATES NEEDS MALAWI'S
COOPERATION, "WE WILL BE THERE."

EASTHAM