Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika quit the ruling party on Saturday after his crackdown on corruption in the impoverished southern African country sparked a political rift with factions loyal to his predecessor. Wa Mutharika, who last month accused United Democratic Front (UDF) party chairman and former Malawi President Bakili Muluzi of plotting with party officials to kill him, chose national anti-corruption day to announce his resignation from the party.
"I have decided to resign from the UDF with immediate effect because firstly I no longer have support within the party... my sin as far as the UDF is concerned is because of my anti-corruption stand," wa Mutharika said in a speech.
Wa Mutharika has waged war on graft during his nine months at the helm of the poverty-stricken and AIDS-ravaged country, targeting top-ranking members of the previous administration and making enemies of party insiders.
Critics accuse him of showing disrespect to Muluzi and forming parallel structures to the ruling party, but his tough stance has won him popularity with the people.
The UDF would now pull out of the government, meaning cabinet ministers must either quit their jobs or the party, Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala told Reuters.
"This confirms that he was forming parrellel structures as we alleged," Makwangwala said. "We will now go ahead and pull out of government and join the opposition."
Analysts said wa Mutharika's decision was no great surprise since the UDF came close to expelling him earlier this week, but worried there was no constitutional provision for a president without a party.
"This presents a very serious constitutional flaw because Malawi has never experienced a president without a party," said Boniface Dulani, political science lecturer at the University of Malawi.
Wa Mutharika said quitting the party was also intended to preserve his integrity following an accusation from Muluzi's most trusted aide last month that the May presidential elections had been rigged.
"An important figure recently told the public that the UDF rigged elections, so in order for me to protect my integrity and in order to protect the owner of the office of the president I announce today that I cease being a member of the UDF," wa Mutharika said.
An economist picked from relative obscurity by Muluzi, wa Mutharika was initially considered a stooge for the former president who single-handedly ensured the UDF chose him as presidential cadidate.
Wa Mutharika last month pardoned three officials of treason charges but insisted they had plotted with Muluzi to kill him after they carried guns to a meeting.
The president on Friday sacked three cabinet ministers in a mini-reshuffle analysts said was meant to consolidate his position as his rift with Muluzi widened.
Under the cabinet rejig, opposition leader Chakufwa Chihana was dropped as agriculture minister, Lilian Patel - who served Muluzi as foreign minister for 10 years - was dropped as labour minister and Bob Khamisa was sacked as mining minister.
Chihana was replaced by retired politician Gwanda Chakuamba and failed presidential candidates who last week threatened to pull out of the coalition with government if the ruling party expelled wa Mutharika.
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