By Brian Longwe
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has threatened to hold countrywide demonstrations if Parliament fails to table the Electoral Reform Bill and Local Government Act from 23 to 29 November this year.
The development has arisen as Public Affairs Committee’s efforts of pushing the Bill in Parliament from the beginning of the 47th Parliamentary sitting, are proving to be futile.
Maravi Post has learnt that the Executive arm of Government has not yet directed the Bill for the legislators to start making deliberations.
To express their concern ove the motive, PAC and other stakeholders on Thursday 23 November marched from Area 18 round about to the Parliament building to present two petitions to the State President of Malawi and the leader of National Assembly through the chair of Legal Affairs Committee in Parliament Maxwell Thyolera, and Chief Executive Officer for Lilongwe City Assembly Charles Makanga,consecutively.
According to the petitions, PAC has challenged that government’s delay to pass the Bill clearly signals that Malawians are being taken for granted.
“Failure to pass the Bill indicates that people should keep on waiting for unfulfilled promises, yet the reforms will not be tabled at all,” the petition reads.
Speaking after receiving the petition, Maxwell Thyolera assured the gathering that legislators are already set to debate the Bill and they are just waiting for the government’s executive arm to direct the Bill to the House.
“MPs are ready and we can even pass the Bill in one day, but we are also being delayed by our collegues from executive arm,” Thyolera explains.
PAC has challenged to hold Government accountable for Parliament’s delays to pass electoral reform bill including fifty percent plus one proposals.
