Peter Mutharika hits at critics
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has said all those criticising his administration should bring to him measures they think will move the country forward, instead of just criticising.
Mutharika said that it cannot be possible that all the measures his administration is implementing are wrong.
“There are stories in the paper that Malawi is going in the wrong direction, that the DPP government is going in the wrong direction. Is trying to industrialise this country, trying to assist small and medium enterprises, wrong direction?
“Is bringing community colleges a wrong direction? Is mal a ta and cemen t programme wrong direction? Is implementation of public sector reforms taking a wrong direction? These are things we have been doing. I want to challenge all those who are saying we are going in the wrong direction to tell us the best way,” Mutharika asked.
He was speaking at a press conference organised yesterday to brief the media about his trip to Egypt where he attended the Third Tripartite Summit of Heads of state and Government of Comesa, Sadc and EAC and 25th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in South Africa.
His comments come days after Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) president, Henry Kachaje, hinted that Mutharika did not only lie in his state of the nation address issued in commemoration of his one-year rule but also his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has not lived to its set goals within one year.
At a press conference, attended by Ministers and technocrats only, Mutharika invited all criticising his administration to spell out the best route the country should take.
“If all these things are wrong, come forward and say which things are better for this country. I’m afraid to say they will not come up with any alternative. I’m not trying to silence anyone from speaking. Everyone has freedom of speech, so do I,” Mutharika said.
At the press Mutharika stressed that his trip to Egypt and South Africa was aimed at promoting trade.
He urged Malawi to take advantage of the common markets being created.
“We need to take advantage of these markets. We need to have good items to sale. We have to manufacture, we have to industrialise,” Mutharika said.
And responding to a question from reporters, Mutharika assured all investors of their safety.
“I will make sure that investors are safe in the country. I will make sure that the Malawi Police Service well-equipped to deal with robbers. Recently they were given 50 new vehicles and we will provide more,” Mutharika said.
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