Malawi new president appoints cabinet

Malawi's new president Bingu wa Mutharika announced his long-overdue cabinet Sunday in the capital Lilongwe, with Mutharika himself assuming the post of defense minister.

The new cabinet has 21 senior ministers and eight deputies. Major casualties include maverick former trade unionists Chakufwa Chihana, whose Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) has a loose alliance arrangement with the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) that formerly guaranteed him the second vice presidency.

But President Mutharika has scrapped off that post and has given AFORD only two posts in the cabinet with Chihana remaining as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security.

Opposition leader Gwanda Chakuamba, who came third in the disputed May 20 polls under the coalition of seven opposition parties, has three of his men in the cabinet.

Chakuamba, who announced he will retire from government after his surprise move to join the UDF government, didn't get any post himself.

Former main opposition Malawi Congress Party senior official Heatherwick Ntaba, who broke away to found his own New Congress for Democracy, also goes into government as Health Minister.

Announcing the cabinet, Secretary to the President and Cabinet Bright Msaka said President Mutharika is appealing for understanding and support towards the new cabinet at this criticaltime when the country needs to move towards social and economic transformation.

Meanwhile, the Office of the President and Cabinet has announced that swearing in of the new cabinet will take place on Wednesday at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

Source: Xinhua