Malawi president calls for dialogue, to stop violence

Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika on Thursday called for dialogue with Civil Society and opposition leaders to find solutions to the problems facing the country instead of continuing with violence on the streets.

According to analysts,  the Civil Society leaders must ask for assurances before the so called dialogue takes place and he should not be the one calling the shots. The venue of the dialogue should also not be State House. Genuine dialogue should take place at neutral venue like a hotel. It must be a mutual dialogue.

These concerns are being raised because he never saw the need for the dialogue yesterday. Did he have to wait for the violent demonstrations to call for genuine dialogue as a Head of State?

Instead of calling for a round table meeting yesterday, he went ahead with his empty lecture at State House- wasting public funds. My appeal to the Civil Society Leaders is not to take the call for dialogue while lying down. Bingu is finished as people have spoken with their action.

The question that many Malawians are asking is whether he is being honest enough and calling for genuine dialogue?