I am not accountable to NGO’s, says Bingu

Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika says he is not accountable to non-governmental organisations (NGO) and lashed out at activists for pressing demands on him.

The activists have been protesting against Mutharika's economic and governance failures.

But in a blistering attack to the NGO community, Mutharika said on Thursday that he does not report to the civil society organizations.

"We are not obliged to report to NGO's or to be accountable to nongovernmental organisation," said Mutharika at New State House in the capital Lilongwe when he swore into office new Cabinet ministers.

Mutharika: I do not report to Mwakasungura

"There is nowhere in the constitution that says Bingu wa Mutharika as president of Malawi will report to [Undule] Mwakasungura," said Mutharika.

Mwakasungura is chairperson of Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC).

"We are not accountable to NGO's," Mutharika stressed to his 31-member cabinet.

In a petition handed to authorities by activists on July 20 when deadly riots erupted after police moved to put down demonstrations criticising Mutharika's governance and killed at least 19 people, the activists demanded that President Mutharika should  disclose the source of money he used to build a multimillion dollar house in his home village six years after taking power.

They also demanded Mutharika to order relevant government officials to stop paying his wife Callista a monthly sum of over $7,000 for doing charity work as a coordinator of safe motherhood, sell the presidential jet and trim the Cabinet.

Mutharika has, meanwhile, trimmed the cabinet by axing 21 ministers.

Nyasa Times 09 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/i-am-not-accountable-to-ngo%e2%80%99s-says-bingu/
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