Malawi court halts vice-president axing

BLANTYRE – A Malawi court has quashed a decision by President Bingu wa Mutharika to dismiss his vice-president and asked the Constitutional Court for a ruling in the political feud.

Mutharika on Thursday sacked Cassim Chilumpha, accusing him of insubordination and of running a “parallel government” in the bitterly divided leadership of the Southern African country. Chilumpha went before a high court to challenge the president’s decision, arguing that only Parliament can strip the vice-president of his post.Judge Healey Potani granted an injunction and said the matter would be referred to the Constitutional Court to determine whether the president must seek Parliament’s approval to dismiss the vice-president.A former education minister who became Mutharika’s running mate in the 2004 elections, Chilumpha has been at loggerheads with the president ever since he criticised the arrests of two deputies suspected of being behind impeachment moves against the head of state.One of Africa’s poorest countries, Malawi has been dogged by political infighting as it struggles with serious food shortages that have left up to five million in need of aid in the country of 11 million people.Mutharika last year faced a bid by the opposition to impeach him, but the motion was withdrawn in early January to allow for reconciliation talks.The president has since said that the bid to impeach him was prompted by his tough stance against corruption.Mutharika’s former mentor, ex-president Bakili Muluzi, and several former ministers have been placed under investigation for graft.- Nampa-AFPChilumpha went before a high court to challenge the president’s decision, arguing that only Parliament can strip the vice-president of his post.Judge Healey Potani granted an injunction and said the matter would be referred to the Constitutional Court to determine whether the president must seek Parliament’s approval to dismiss the vice-president.A former education minister who became Mutharika’s running mate in the 2004 elections, Chilumpha has been at loggerheads with the president ever since he criticised the arrests of two deputies suspected of being behind impeachment moves against the head of state.One of Africa’s poorest countries, Malawi has been dogged by political infighting as it struggles with serious food shortages that have left up to five million in need of aid in the country of 11 million people.Mutharika last year faced a bid by the opposition to impeach him, but the motion was withdrawn in early January to allow for reconciliation talks.The president has since said that the bid to impeach him was prompted by his tough stance against corruption.Mutharika’s former mentor, ex-president Bakili Muluzi, and several former ministers have been placed under investigation for graft.- Nampa-AFP