CABINET RESHUFFLED; OPPOSITION "REBEL" LEADERS JOIN GOVERNMENT

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LILONGWE 000489

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/S GABRIELLE MALLORY

STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, MI

SUBJ: CABINET RESHUFFLED; OPPOSITION "REBEL" LEADERS JOIN

GOVERNMENT

1.(U) Summary: President Bingu wa Mutharika has reshuffled

his Cabinet, bringing aboard three prominent opposition

leaders and sacking three ministers. The changes have

affected almost every ministry, as a number of ministers

have been moved, three new positions created, and eight new

ministers brought on board. The embattled Vice President,

who is still under house arrest for treason charges, has

been dropped from Cabinet. End summary.

2. (SBU) Two leaders in the opposition Malawi Congress Party

(MCP),Shadow Minister of Finance Ted Kalebe and Shadow

Minister of Health Bitony Kutsaira, have joined government

as deputy ministers in the ministries of Finance and

Agriculture. United Democratic Front (UDF) Treasurer General

Bob Khamisa has also joined government as Minister of Home

Affairs.

3. (U) Minister of Health Hetherwick Ntaba, a long-time

politician who has served as Minister in all three of

Malawi's presidential administrations, headlines the list of

those let go. Minister of Trade and Private Sector

Development Martin Kansichi and Deputy Minister of Mines,

Natural Resources and Environment Jimmy Banda were also

fired.

4. (U) The Minister of Foreign Affairs Davies Katsonga has

been moved to Minister of Defense, a position that the

President had previously held. Taking his place is former

Minister of Gender, Joyce Banda. The Deputy Minister of

Foreign Affairs, Marjorie Ngaunje, has been promoted to

Health Minister, and the new Deputy Minister is Henry Mumba,

former Deputy Minister of Agriculture.

5. (U) The President has created new positions of Minister

of State in the Office of the President, Deputy Minister of

Finance, and Deputy Minister of Local Government. The

Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology has also been

combined with the Ministry of Trade and Private Sector

Development to create the Ministry of Industry, Trade and

Private Sector Development. The total number of cabinet

positions has increased to thirty-seven, including the

president.

/>6. (SBU) Comment: Convincing Kalebe and Kutsaira to join

cabinet has to be considered a political coup for the

President. While both have been vocal in their disagreements

with MCP leader John Tembo, they were both valued front-

benchers in the opposition. They also have been considered

leaders of the "young" MCP members pushing for a leadership

change within the party. The real questions will be whether

or not the two can bring along any other MCP members to the

government side, which might push Mutharika's party toward a

majority in parliament.

7. (SBU) For their part, neither Ntaba nor Kansichi are

Members of Parliament, and were likely replaced in an effort

to add parliamentary support to government ahead of the

opening of next Tuesday's budget session. Outside of these

changes, however, the President's general shuffling of

portfolios seems to be more about shaking things up

throughout the cabinet, rather than specifically demoting or

promoting individuals. End Comment.

8. Cabinet Appointments

--------------

Minister of State for Statutory Corporations

Elizabeth Aipira [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Statutory

Corporations)

Minister of State in the Office of the President

Richard Msowoya [DPP] (New)

Minister of Finance

Goodall Gondwe [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister of Finance

Ted Kalebe [MCP] (New)

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

Uladi Mussa [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

Bintony Kutsaira [MCP] (New)

Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Joyce Banda [DPP] (former Minister of Gender, Child Welfare

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& Community Development)

Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International

Cooperation

Henri Mumba [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Agriculture &

Food Security)

Ministry for Industry, Trade and Private Sector Development

Dr. Ken Lipenga [DPP] (former Minister of Labor & Vocational

Training)

Deputy Ministry for Industry, Trade and Private Sector

Development

Rashid Gaffar [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Transport &

Public Works)

Minister for Energy, Mines and Natural Resources

Henry Chimunthu Banda [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister for Energy, Mines and Natural Resources

Ernest Malenga [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Local

Government & Rural Development)

Minister for Local Government and Rural Development

Dr. George Chaponda [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development

Callista Chimombo [DPP] (New)

Minister for Transport and Public Works

Henry Mussa [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister for Transport and Public Works

Charles Mchacha [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Health)

Minister for Economic Planning and Development

David Faiti [DPP] (Reappointed)

Minister for Education and Vocational Training

Anna Kachikho [DPP] (former Minister of Home Affairs &

Internal Security)

Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training

Roy Commsy [DPP] (former Deputy Minister Home Affairs &

Internal Security)

Minister for Irrigation and Water Development

Sidik Mia [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister for Irrigation and Water Development

Frank Mwenifumbo [DPP] (Reappointed)

Minister for Defence

Davis Katsonga [DPP] (former Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Minister for Information and Tourism

Patricia Kaliati [DPP] (Reappointed)

Deputy Minister for Information and Tourism

John Bande [DPP] (Reappointed)

Minister for Lands, Housing and Surveys

Henry Phoya [DPP] (former Minister of Justice &

Constitutional Affairs)

Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Surveys

Symon Vuwa Kaunda [DPP] (New)

Minister for Home Affairs and Internal Security

Bob Khamisa [UDF] (New)

Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and Internal Security

Khumbo Kachale [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Defense)

Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs

Bazuka Mhango [RP? DPP?] (former Minister of Lands, Housing

& Surveys)

Minister for Labour and Social Development

Khumbo Chirwa [DPP] (former Minister of Industry, Science &

Technology)

Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Development

Davie Ngulinga [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Education)

Minister for Health

Marjorie Ngaunje [DPP] (former Deputy Minister of Foreign

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Affairs)

Deputy Minister for Health

Aaron Sangala [DPP] (New)

Minister for Women and Child Development

Kate Kainja-Kaluluma [MCP? DPP?] (former Minister of

Education)

Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture

Jaffalie Mussa [UDF] (Reappointed)

Minister for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly

Clement Khembo [DPP] (New)

EASTHAM

CABINET RESHUFFLED; OPPOSITION "REBEL" LEADERS JOIN GOVERNMENT

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