Update: The Office of the President and Cabinet has dismissed rumours that President Peter Mutharika is not actively leading the government, following allegations that he failed to chair a May 27 Cabinet meeting. According to Nyasa Times, Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi issued a statement on June 1 clarifying that the President has chaired all cabinet meetings since taking office. The statement also defended Mutharika's recent decisions to assign Cabinet ministers to state functions instead of First Vice President Jane Ansah and Second Vice President Enoch Chihana. Malawi24 reports that the government described these delegations as cost-saving and efficiency measures rather than a political sidelining of the vice presidents.
Update: The Malawi Electoral Commission is seeking a High Court injunction to block a presidential directive ordering the relocation of its headquarters from Lilongwe to Blantyre, Nyasa Times reports. MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja confirmed the legal challenge to test the legality of the executive order. In response, Attorney General Frank Mbeta warned the electoral body that the executive directive must be implemented and insisted that ongoing legal proceedings will not prevent the move.
Update: As Malawi prepares to host an International Monetary Fund mission from June 9 to 18 to negotiate a new Extended Credit Facility, economic experts are urging the government to restore fiscal discipline. According to Nation Online, former Reserve Bank governor Dalitso Kabambe cautioned that previous agreements have failed due to inconsistent policy implementation. Adding to the national economic pressure, a new Index of Economic Freedom report by the Heritage Foundation has downgraded Malawi to a score of 50.7. Nyasa Times notes that this categorises the country as mostly unfree and drops its global ranking to 143rd.