POLITICAL RHETORIC HEATS UP IN MALAWI

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000146 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR AF/S KAMANA MATHUR STATE FOR INR/AA RITA BYRNES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM KCOR MI SUBJECT: POLITICAL RHETORIC HEATS UP IN MALAWI REF: A) LILONGWE 105, B) 06 LILONGWE 833 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In another sign that the 2009 election campaign is in full swing, President Bingu wa Mutharika and his predecessor and presumptive presidential candidate Bakili Muluzi exchanged barbs over the weekend at competing public rallies. Mutharika also lashed out at Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader and presidential candidate John Tembo, accusing him of accepting a bribe from one of the major tobacco companies. This came as the government enforced a new ban on opposition rallies at airports and stopped Muluzi supporters on their way to a rally. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Declaring that, "enough is enough," Mutharika accused Muluzi, who srved as president from 1994-2004, of trying to become a "life-president." The President went on to threaten Muluzi, who still has a potential corruption case to answer, that Mutharika had "been patient throughout but...I am warning him that I will soon act." Mutharika then turned to criticize MCP leader John Tembo, accusing him of accepting an 11 million kwacha ($80,000) bribe from Limbe Leaf Tobacco to stay silent over low tobacco prices. ¶3. (SBU) Ex-President Muluzi, upon his return from a trip to Namibia on February 25, was refused entry to Blantyre's Chileka Airport V-VIP room. (Comment: This is a big deal because as a former President, he is automatically entitled to perks and special treatment of this nature. End comment.) At the same time, some of his supporters were stopped at police roadblocks on their way to meet him. This came in spite of a High Court injunction, issued earlier in the day, blocking police interference with a rally at the airport on Muluzi's return. Muluzi later held a rally at a venue near the airport, where he told his supporters that Mutharika was afraid to face him in the 2009 election. Muluzi also accused government of banning airport rallies because of the reception he had received at a previous rally in Lilongwe upon his arrival from London on February 18 (Comment: This part is true. But an Embassy officer who saw the February 18 rally first-hand is sympathetic to the idea of banning rallies of several thousand worked-up supporters in the passenger pickup/dropoff lanes at the airport terminal. End comment). ¶4. (SBU) The government announced on February 22 that it would ban all public rallies at airports, citing airports as, "restricted security areas in line with International Air Transport Association regulations." Muluzi has traditionally held an airport rally each time he entered or left the country, often drawing large crowds of supporters. Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) deputy spokesperson, however, said that the ban does not apply to the DPP because it is the party of government. "DPP is Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, and Dr. Mutharika is government...you cannot compare DPP to opposition parties," said Chakale. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: The truce, if there was one, is off between Mutharika and his predecessor. Increasingly, every public act and public statement by the senior members of the Malawian political class is focused on the 2009 election, and the resurgence of the Mutharika-Muluzi split is an example, emerging after a recent surge of press commentary about a possible Muluzi candidacy in 2009. This speculation was lauded by some (but not all) senior members of his UDF party but most importantly went unrebutted by the man himself. Similarly, Mutharika's swipe at Tembo further damages any relationship Mutharika's plurality government might have with the largest opposition party. If the President actually believes Limbe Leaf gave money to Tembo, that would also go a long distance toward explaining the vehement personal nature of the denial of a work permit and subsequent departure of the Limbe Leaf Managing Director. End comment. EASTHAM