Mutharika’s absence weakens Malawi’s government
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Zambianobserver
Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has been in South Africa for more than two weeks for medical treatment, while Vice-President Jane Ansah is reportedly excluded from important meetings and stripped of responsibilities. The situation is fuelling fears of an institutional crisis, according to an analysis published by the Zambianobserver.
Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has been in South Africa for more than two weeks on a visit described as private, with no official explanation for his absence or date announced for his return, reports the Zambianobserver. The newspaper says the head of state is receiving medical treatment there and that this is his fifth such trip since returning to power last year.
At the same time, Vice-President Jane Ansah, who was elected on the same ticket as Peter Mutharika, has reportedly been excluded from important meetings and stripped of several responsibilities by the presidential circle. According to the Zambianobserver, allies of the president are seeking to prevent her from succeeding him, a situation that recalls the institutional crisis that occurred in 2012 after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, when his entourage tried to block his vice-president Joyce Banda from taking office.
The situation is prolonging questions about who is effectively running the country, which were already raised by Malawi’s opposition during Peter Mutharika’s absence. Malawi’s opposition asks who is running the country during Mutharika’s absence.
