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Muluzi to wear two hats
11/08/2003 08:46 - (SA)
Blantyre - Malawi's ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) has elected President Bakili Muluzi as its national chairman ahead of his retirement as head of state in 2004, said his spokesperson on Sunday.
Willie Zingani said Muluzi was elected to the powerful post late on Saturday at the party's convention, where a new executive committee was also voted into office.
Muluzi has agreed to step down as head of state after parliament last year quashed his attempt to amend the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term in office.
His new post will make him the "head and chief directing officer of the party", and the position of party president has been abolished, leaving Muluzi as the UDF's most senior official.
The party last month voted for a new constitution that gave Muluzi more power, despite popular opposition to increasing his political stature.
A wave of intimidation and terror
Vice-president Justin Malewezi was elected vice-chairman of the party.
Zingani said about 1 500 delegates at the convention also "unanimously" voted economist Bingu wa Mutharika as the party's presidential candidate in next year's general elections.
Among those voted out of the executive were Henry Moyo, leader of a militant youth wing called "Young Democrats" who caused a wave of intimidation and terror, beating up critics and opponents.
Muluzi had publicly admitted the Young Democrats had tainted his image and that of the party, and had ordered Moyo to tell them to stop terrorising people.
Sources inside the party said Moyo lost his position as director of the Young Democrats for failing to control them.
Scores of ministers, who had served in the executive committee since 1993, lost to newcomers.
They include commerce minister Sam Mpasu, transport minister Clement Stambuli and land minister Maloya Thengo.
A largely unknown politician, Henry Makwangwala, was elected the party's secretary-general.
- AFP
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