Lilongwe, Malawi -- The president of Malawi has dissolved his Cabinet of more than 40 ministers and deputies without giving any reason.
The moves comes after nongovernmental organizations and protesters demanded in a July 20 petition to President Bingu wa Mutharika that he should trim the size of the Cabinet by half. The small, landlocked southeastern African nation has been rocked with fuel and foreign exchange shortages, and the cost of living has soared. Such issues sparked protests last month, leaving 19 people killed.
A statement from the office of the president and Cabinet, read on state radio, said the dissolution went into effect Friday.
Asked for the reasons behind the move, Cabinet clerk Chinthu Phiri could not give any, but said the president could appoint and terminate ministers at will.
The development comes after activists cancelled a 48-hour vigil on Wednesday, which was to press Mutharika to act on the petition.
They said they cancelled the vigil to give a chance for talks, which the United Nations is mediating.
One activist, Billy Mayaya, said the activists do not interpret Mutharika's move as the beginning of reform.
"We cannot say this is the beginning of reform, we will wait until he appoints new ministers," said Mayaya. Once the new ministers are appointed, he said the activists will determine whether Mutharika is responding to their concerns.
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