Malawi suspends parliament as government, opposition meet
Reuters Africa 9/5/2008

LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's parliament has been suspended while the government and opposition hold talks to avert a political crisis that threatens to derail international donor programmes, senior officials said on Friday. "Parliament has not met for three days now because of the talks and I have been asked to adjourn until next week," parliament speaker Louis Chimango told Reuters ... Chimango has come under pressure to resign for not expelling more than 70 MPs who defected to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which together form a majority in parliament, want to remove the defecting DPP lawmakers under a constitutional provision that bans parliamentarians from switching parties. Chimango's refusal to remove the MPs for three years has led to political uncertainty. The latest dispute may delay debate of the 2008/2009 budget ... The UDF representative at the talks, George Ntafu, said that unless the government agreed to implement the provision banning party defections, the talks would fail. If the ban takes effect, the opposition would have the two-thirds majority needed to impeach wa Mutharika, but opposition leaders say they do not plan to seek his removal ...

Malawi sets new tobacco prices for buyers
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa

LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawian tobacco farmers are expected to be paid a minimum of $2.70 per kg this year for their crop, up from last year's $1.85 per kg, a senior government official said on Thursday. Tobacco is the southern African nation's mainstay, accounting for over 70 percent of Malawi's exports and 15 percent of its gross domestic product, but for the last two years low prices have led to cuts in production. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Patrick Kabambe said that the new prices have been agreed upon with buyers and other stakeholders in the industry. "The minimum price set for the leaf is $2.20 cents which is more than last year minimum price of $1.85 cents" ... For many years tobacco prices had hovered around 70-90 U.S. cents per kg, far lower than the $1 the industry says it costs to produce one kg of the golden leaf. But from last year prices improved and farmers sold their crop between $1.70 and $1.60 per kg for the first time in several years, after President Bingu wa Mutharika ordered buyers to offer better prices or leave the country. Limbe Leaf Tobacco, majority owned by the Swiss-registered Continental Tobacco Company, and U.S.-based Alliance One Tobacco, are the active buyers who were ordered to peg the prices at a minimum price of $1.1 per kg and $1.7 for higher grade leaf. Wa Mutharika, who also farms tobacco, accused buyers of running a cartel to fix prices ... Last year, the government registered another international buyer, U.S.-based based Premiere Leaf, in a bid to get better prices. Two undisclosed Chinese companies are expected to buy the crop this year ...

Stalemate between Malawi ruler, parliament intensifies
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
By Mabvuto Banda LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's president has cancelled a sitting of the southern African nation's parliament, raising the stakes in a political feud that threatens the government and implementation of international donor programmes. President Bingu wa Mutharika had vowed to prevent parliamentarians

Malawi inflation pushes up to 7.7 pct y/y
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
By Mabvuto Banda LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi's inflation jumped to 7.7 percent year-on-year in January, from 7.5 percent in December, the National Statistical Office (NSO) said on Thursday. The NSO said in a statement higher fuel prices were the main driver of the rise of inflation in January ... "The current rise in inflation is due mainly to the recent upward

Paladin Energy Gets Financing to Develop Malawi Uranium Mine
Bloomberg - USA
14 (Bloomberg) -- Paladin Energy Ltd., the Australian company building a uranium mine in Malawi, got bank approval for the remaining funding of $167 million to develop the project. The financing comprises a 7-year project-finance loan of $145 million, a cost-overrun loan of $12 million and a

Malawi starts rationing maize as stocks fall
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
By Mabvuto Banda LILONGWE (Reuters) - Malawi has started rationing the sale of maize across the country following a report in parliament that the country's maize stocks are dwindling ... The southern African nation harvested 3.1 million tonnes of maize in the last planting season -- its biggest in 10 years. The government

Malawi: Six killed in Malawi floods as President tours affected area
Afrique en ligne - Angers,France
Blantyre, Malawi - Six people have been confirmed dead in Lower Shire V alley district of Chikwawa, Malawi as President Bingu wa Mutharika Sunday made an aerial tour of the flood-prone area where close to 50, 000 people have

Treason trial for Malawi Vice President slated for May
Journal Chrétien - Paris,France
The long-awaited treason trial of Malawi’s Vice President, Cassim Chilumpha, will start in May 2008, and the hearing will be open to the public,  his lawyer Viva Nyimba said Tuesday. Chilumpha was arrested in April 2006 along with two businessmen — Yusuf Matumula and Rashid Nembo — for allegedly attempting to assassinate President Bingu wa Mutharika and overthrow