Malawi’s President Bakili Muluzi has fired deputy transport and public works minister Jan Sonke, Muluzi’s office said on Tuesday, after Sonke wrote him a strongly worded letter opposing a bid for a third term in office.
The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) gave no reason for Sonke’s dismissal, but said his sacking was effective from Monday and that he had been replaced by senior party official and lawmaker Paul Maulidi.
Sonke, the only white lawmaker in Muluzi’s governing party, said he had written to Muluzi telling him a third term bill, set to be presented in parliament this month, ”will not work and its not possible for the bill to pass through.”
Sonke, a former Dutch national but now a Malawian citizen, said: ”I am sure we are not doing the right thing by fighting for the third term. It is a waste of time and resources when we should have been concentrating on issues of national concern.”
The third term bill here has overshadowed the worst famine to hit Malawi, threatening 3,2-million people.
Muluzi, accompanied by scores of government and party officials and heavy security, has been on a nationwide campaign trip to drum support for the bill, while banning demonstrations for or against it.
The bill was initially rejected in July by parliament and Muluzi conceded defeat saying he would accept the parliamentary ruling.
However, the bill, allowing sitting presidents to stand for three consecutive terms was gazettted last month. If passed, it will allow Muluzi to stand for a third term after his current term expires in 2004. Major western donor nations have warned Muluzi to think twice before considering the controversial measure. – Sapa-AFP