From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: MALAWI: ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY ACCU
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 23:22:35 GMT

Topic 839       MALAWI: ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY ACCU
newsdesk        ips.englibrary  12:11 am  Oct  3, 1992

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: MALAWI: ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY ACCUSED OF TRIBAL LEANINGS


an inter press service feature

by fred chela

lusaka, sep 29 (ips) -- malawian politicians in exile here have
expressed misgivings about the recent formation of a new united
front to agitate for democracy in the southern african country.

led by chakufwa chihana, the alliance for democracy (aford),
was formed sep. 21 and is comprised of church leaders,
politicians, business persons and exiles.

malawian politician and medical doctor, harry bwanausi, says
although the formation of aford is a step forward he doubts its
national reflection.

according to bwanausi, apart from two malawian asians the
13-man aford committee represents the tumbuka clan.

''aford is comprised of people from the north only. already,
aford treasurer justine mulewezi has pulled out claiming that he
was not consulted''.

in an interview at his surgery in lusaka, where he has been
exiled since 1965, bwanausi, who is also president of the malawi
democratic union (mdu), told ips it was a pity that a well-
intentioned political programme should be smeared with tribal or
ethnic leanings.

this sentiment was echoed by former minister of education
willie chokani who fled to zambia in 1965 when life president dr
hastings kamuzu banda purged his cabinet of what he called
''communist cliques''.

interim chairman for the united front for multi-party
democracy (ufmd) in malawi, a lusaka-based political exiles
grouping george kanyanya says:

''we had told chakufa chihana that he should not crusade the
internal political emancipation on tribal lines as evidenced by
purely northern malawi internal politicians in the aford
structural framework''.

he said in order for aford to attain political awareness
''it should embrace all ethnic groupings from north right down
to the south''.

but aford representatives in zambia mapopa chipeta and frank
mayinga strongly refuted the allegations, describing them as
malicious and dangerous. (more/ips)


malawi: alliance (2)

mayinga said: ''this is not the time for political
machinations. let us all unite if we have to unseat the
totalitarian regime of kamuzu banda''.

chipeta also disagreed that there was any tribal inclination
in aford: ''our ultimate aim is to bring democracy to malawi.
let us support this internal effort by people who have risked
arrest by openly coming out to challenge the repressive regime
of dr banda and his clique''.

meanwhile, noted malawi exiled politician kanyama chiume has
informed the ufmd that he is withdrawing from the exiled
political union. speaking in the northern town of ndola, he did
not state why he no longer wants to work with other exiles.

ufmd is composed of four exiled political parties, the
tanzania-based league of socialist malawi (lesoma), the congress
of second republic (csr) headed by chiume, bwanausi's mdu and
the malawi freedom party (mafremo) headed by detained lawyer,
orton chirwa.

political observers here are now concerned that this apparent
discord among malawian exiled politicians could weaken the fight
to wrest power from banda.

''why can't we discard this cancer of tribalism or ethnic
grouping and continue working as africans and nothing else?''
says one african diplomat who declined to be named.

but despite his misgivings about the tribal composition of
aford, bwanausi predicts that whether banda and his right hand
man, john tembo, like it or not, political pluralism is coming
to malawi.

according to bwanausi, the banda regime has already shown
signs of feeling threatened by the mdu.

tembo recently complained against the circulation of mdu post
cards in malawi, vindicating the claim that it is the largest
political party inside malawi.

''if it was allowed to operate legally, it would have been
the biggest political party -- encompassing people from all
walks of life, from north, centre and south'', says bwanausi.
(end/ips/fc/tvh/92)


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