Veteran journalist and seasoned political commentator Idrissa Alnasar has publicly weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s apparent sidelining of Vice President Jane Ansah.
His remarks follow recent developments in which the President excluded the Vice President from a Cabinet meeting and instead delegated Second Vice President Enoch Chihana to preside over the session, despite Dr. Ansah being available.
Writing on his social media platform, Alnasar said:
“There is hardly any profit to be gained from lying to each other, so the truth here is that President Peter Mutharika has made it abundantly clear to the nation that he no longer wants to work with Jane Ansah. The reason(s) for that, however, we do not know.”
Alnasar went on to draw parallels with Malawi’s political history, arguing that Dr. Ansah’s situation bears striking similarities to that of former Vice President Joyce Banda during the late President Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration.
“Jane Ansah is now Joyce Banda 2.0.
Joyce Banda was a much-derided, sidelined, insulted and diminished Vice President under Bingu wa Mutharika. Her political career appeared to be over.
Then lightning struck on April 5, 2012, and everything changed in a heartbeat.
The tragedy of our politics is that there are people who, through congenital self-delusion, convince themselves that they are exceptions who need not learn from history or from the mistakes of others.
Those leading and operationalising Jane Ansah’s ostracisation had best pray that they truly are God’s exceptional species and that lightning does not strike twice.
Otherwise, they may learn the hard way.”
The comments come amid increasing public debate over the President’s relationship with his Vice President, following a series of decisions that critics argue have effectively sidelined Dr. Ansah from key executive functions.
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