Lilongwe, Oct 6 (IANS) Malawi’s new President, Peter Mutharika, has released a partial line-up of his Cabinet.
Mutharika, who won the September 16 presidential election and took office on Saturday, appointed Enock Chihana of the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) party as second Vice President on Sunday. His running mate during the election, Jane Ansah, is the first Vice President, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Chihana, whose party formed the Blue Alliance with Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the election, becomes the second Malawian to hold the position of second Vice President in the history of the country, after the position was held by his father, Chakufwa Chihana, who founded AFORD and served as second vice president from 1994 to 1996 and again from 2003 to 2004, both under President Bakili Muluzi.
The constitution of Malawi gives the president the mandate to appoint a second Vice President, but other than Bakili Muluzi and Peter Mutharika, no other President had ever appointed a second Vice President.
Mutharika also appointed veteran DPP member George Chaponda as Foreign Minister, and Joseph Mwanamvekha as minister of finance, economic planning and development.
Both Chaponda and Mwanamvekha had served in the same respective ministerial positions before, during Peter Mutharika’s first presidency, from 2014 to 2020.
Former defense deputy commander George Jaffu was appointed as chief of the Malawi Defence Force, while retired secretary for information Justin Saidi was appointed as Chief Secretary, with Stuart Ligomeka, a former Secretary for local government, as his deputy.
The new President also appointed DPP Vice President for the Central Region Alfred Gangata as minister of state, a new ministerial portfolio.
Kiswell Dakamau, who served in a number of different senior positions before, including secretary for education and Deputy Director for local government, was appointed as Director of state residences, another new portfolio.
The Malawian leader also appointed police commissioner Richard Luhanga as Police Inspector General.
–IANS
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