By Watipaso Mzungu
Governance and Human Rights Advocate Undule Mwakasungula has criticized former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for “misleading Malawians’ with a statement he termed as national address, arguing only sitting presidents have the powers to deliver “National Addresses”.
Mwakasungula, who was reacting to Mutharika’s statement delivered a few days ago, warned that by calling his speech a national address, Mutharika risks undermining the authority of the current Head of State and government.
“It would have been more appropriate to call it an address to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members since much of the content seemed to focus on political issues,” said the fearless governance and human rights advocate.
Mwakasungula added that Mutharika’s address to the nation raises many questions about its purpose and potential impact.
He argued that although APM has every right to share his views, the way he presented this speech and the issues he raised need to be examined carefully.
In his speech, Mutharika strongly criticized the current government, claiming it has completely failed the nation.
Mwakasungula argued that while it might be true that Malawi is facing serious challenges such as hunger, high prices, and fuel shortages, these are not simple problems caused by one government.
“Some of these issues are global, while others have built up over time. Simplifying these problems as governance failures not only misleads the Malawians but also overlooks the broader context in which these challenges have emerged,” he said.
Mutharika further claimed that during his presidency, the government managed to stop hunger by prioritizing Malawians’ lives.
But Mwakasiungula reminded the former Head of State that it is during his time as President when hungry Malawians are told to “eat grasshoppers”.
“It is important to remember that his administration faced many criticisms, including allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement. His claim that his government did better may be viewed as an attempt to rewrite history rather than an honest assessment of past challenges.
“Another worrying part of the speech is Mutharika’s criticisim of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB), saying they have failed to carry out their duties properly. Statements like these, especially from a former President, could damage public trust in these important institutions which are key in the electoral process. Mutharika also declared that the DPP would win the upcoming elections and bring change to the country. This might raise the question; was this a genuine call for national unity and solutions, or a campaign disguised as a national address? While Mutharika has every right to voice his opinions, at this moment as we move towards the election Malawi needs leaders who can call for peace, unity and co -existence,” implored Mwakasungula.
There was no immediate comment from Mutharika.