President Bakili Muluzi who earlier this week named his successor fired his entire cabinet on Wednesday, according to a statement from his office.
Muluzi’s secretary Alfred Upindi said the Muluzi had asked him to issue the statement but did not give him any reasons for the action.
”What I know is the president just called me to his office at State House this morning where he advised me to issue a statement on the dissolution of the cabinet,” he said.
The decision comes only two days after Muluzi announced he was giving up his bid to seek a third term in office after his presidency expires next year.
He had campaigned for months to change the constitution to allow him to run for the presidency of the southern African country for the third time in a row.
He announced earlier this week the name of his successor to contest the contest the scheduled May 18, 2004 Presidential elections.
Bingu wa Mutharika (69) an economist and international bureaucrat who had worked for the United Nations and the World Bank was given the party’s stamp of approval.
Muluzi’s claim that Wa Mutharika had been chosen by party members was denied by several cabinet ministers and senior party members.
They said he had imposed Wa Mutharika on the party.
”Muluzi simply told everyone to endorse his anointed successor,” said a cabinet source.
The source claimed several ministers had threatened to quit soon after Muluzi announced his successor, a man who had stood against him in the 1999 general election.
Ken Lipenga, the UDF deputy publicity secretary said he was not aware that cabinet ministers had threatened to quit. He also did not know why the President had fired his ministers. ”Of course it is the president’s prerogative to hire or fire ministers,” he said. – Sapa-AP