Malawi opposition boycotts parliament budget talks

Malawi's opposition today boycotted the opening parliamentary session on the 2008/2009 national budget, raising the possibility that the southern African country's president could face a no confidence vote.

In a repeat of a crisis last year that delayed state spending, the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) is protesting against the poaching of its members by President Bingu wa Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The UDF and Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which together form a majority in parliament, want to remove DPP MP’s under a constitutional provision that prevents floor-crossing.

If successful, they would have enough support to pass a no-confidence vote in wa Mutharika's government as well as an impeachment motion against him, which they have been pushing for since wa Mutharika walked out on the UDF and formed a new party in 2005.

Opposition wants to impeach wa Mutharika
Last week, wa Mutharika expressed concerns that the opposition wants to sack his MP’s so that they can impeach him.

Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe, scheduled to present his budget in four weeks time, fears a new political crisis in one of the continent's poorest countries could threaten crucial international budget aid.

Under wa Mutharika, the country of 12 million people has won praise and billions of dollars in debt relief for driving reforms that have steered healthy economic growth. But political bickering has overshadowed those gains. Wa Mutharika's rule has been troubled since he stepped into office in 2004, after winning an election marred by violent protests and opposition allegations of rigging.

Last year it took five months for the opposition to agree to present the government's $1.2 billion budget for fiscal 2007/08.

They demanded that the floor-crossing dispute be resolved before the budget debate. But pressure from civic groups and farmers prompted a change of heart, and it was passed. – Reuters