Just a year before he leaves office, Malawi President Bakili Muluzi has broken all records and appointed the tiny southern African country’s largest cabinet in 39 years of independence.
Using absolute constitutional powers to appoint a 46-strong cabinet, Muluzi last week more than doubled his predecessor’s average size government.
Late dictator Kamuzu Banda’s cabinets averaged 20.
But after Muluzi succeeded Banda in 1994, cabinets have been getting bigger and bigger, angering critics and donors who argue that the tiny, aid-dependent southern African country cannot afford a top-heavy government.
The country should be using the money it is paying out to sustain the cabinet to reduce the rampant poverty which affects 65% of the 11-million people, argue critics.
A cabinet minister in Malawi earns an average $2 000 a month, and also enjoys the luxury of a chauffeur-driven limousine.
Other critics worry that the new cabinet will adversely impact on the budget, already on shaky ground after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors withheld some $122-million in aid packages and budget support over concerns about government overspending.
Muluzi has in the past dismissed criticism that he is unnecessarily employing too many ministers, saying he wants to give ”others a chance to be ministers.”
He also brushed aside suggestions by the World Bank to trim the cabinet, saying: ”I am not going to be dictated to by anyone as Malawi does not have the largest cabinet in the world.”
Without explanation, Muluzi last week fired veteran ministers Aleke Banda and Harry Thomson.
Commentators believe they were sacked because they had ambitions for the presidency when Muluzi ends his reign in May 2004, after 10 years in power.
Muluzi had controversially tried to amend Malawi’s constitution to allow himself to stand for a third five-year term.
But commentators said his recent endorsement of economist Bingu wa Mutharika as the ruling United Democratic Front’s (UDF) candidate in next year’s election was as good as a declaration that he would step down as head of state at the end of his
constitutional two terms.
In his reshuffle, Muluzi also dropped sports and youth minister Moses Dossi and justice minister Henry Phoya, but surpisingly appointed controversial opposition leader Chakufwa Chihana as second vice president.
Chihana of the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) resigned from the same position seven years ago after he nullified a coalition accord with the UDF.
He accused the Muluzi administration of lacking transparency and governance as well as engaging in high level corruption. The position of second vice president had been controversially created through a constitional amendment to accommodate Chihana, whose party has a stronghold in the north of the country.
Muluzi’s new list of ministers has 30 full ministers and 16 junior ministers and includes obscure portfolios such as presidential affairs minister and special duties minister.
”I am a political technician,” Muluzi had recently bragged at a rally. – Sapa-AFP