By Falles Kamanga
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Former Head of state, Dr Bakili Muluzi. He is the living god father of democracy in Malawi. He is the epitome of politics and founder of multiparty in Malawi.
Today, let’s remember the greatest battle that Malawians won since the creation of the nation in the battle for multiparty democracy led by Bakili Muluzi.
We need to celebrate this event more than we celebrate national independence.
I wish one day we will have Bakili Muluzi day. And it will then be declared a public holiday.
Dr. Bakili Muluzi as a person and president had a good heart and rare interpersonal skills.
He had a way of connecting with local people that earned him the title, POLITICAL ENGINEER.
He was a great laugh. His 10 years went so fast hence some people saw need for him to chance a third term.
This is a man who demisystified the presidency after taking over from Dr Kamuzu Banda who ruled Malawi from 1964 to 1994.
The economy:
At the time that Muluzi took over the reigns of power, the economy was at its lowest ebb owed to the sanctions the traditional donors including the International Monetory Fund and World Bank had imposed on the then Dr. Banda adminstration due to bad human rights record.
Under the controlled economy where conglomerate press controlled 80 percent of the private sector, the enconomy was blinking and a good number of the companies including the state owned ones were already posting huge losses.
The situation piled pressure on government which had to effect bail outs for the companies to survive.
This concided with the IMF imposed structural adjustment program SAPS which disapporoved government continued ownership of enterprises which were”sick”.
The Muluzi adminstration desperately wanting to restore donor confidence, was forced to toe the line.
The notable budget policy with Aleke Band at the helm of finance was the cash budget.
It enhanced fiscal discipline and the economy was on truck for the period.
