Malawi Catholic Bishops on Saturday ask their Church members to come in large number and take part in electoral reform bills demonstration organized by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) on 13 December, 2017.
The demonstration is aimed at showing their anger toward government failure to table the electoral reform bills as promised.
However government through the minister of justice Samuel Tembenu said they are not shaken with the demonstration saying Parliament cannot work under the clergy’s pressure and that holding a demonstration is part of exercising their constitutional rights.
The Bishops through Episcopal Conference of Malawi said this in a letter below;
Catholic Secretariat, Area 11
Off Chimutu Road
P.O. Box 30384
Capital City, Lilongwe 3
MAI
Tel: +265 1772 066/079
Direct Line: +265 t 772 204
Fathers Residence:+265 t 772 075
Fax: +255 L772Ol9
Email:ecm@ecmmw.org
Website: www.ecmmw.org
OUR REF:
YOUR REF:
2nd December,2OtT
cc
: All Parish Priests
: AllArchbishops and Bishops
: The National Pastoral Secretary – ECM
: The Directors and Heads of Commissions – ECM
: All Diocesan Pastoral Secretaries/Coordinators
: All Diocesan CCJP Secretaries/Coordinators
: The National Laity Council Chairperson
: The National CWO Chairlady
: All Directors of Catholic Media Houses
Dear Colleagues in the Vineyard,
PAC PEACEFUL MARCHES ON 13TH DECEMBER 2017 EXPRESSING DISSATISFACTION ON THE
WAY GOVERNMENT HAS HANDLED ELECTORAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORMS
Greetings from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi!
I write this letter to officially inform you about the forthcoming Peaceful Marches organized
by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) slated for 13th December,2O!7. During their
Extraordinary Meeting held from 23th-30th November, 2O17 at the Catholic Secretariat,
Lilongwe, the Bishops endorsed the peaceful marches on the basis that ECM is a member of
PAC. The marches will be held under the themei “We Demand Transformative Leadership:
Now is the Time to Reclaim our Destiny.”
In the pursuit of advancing the implementation of Electoral and Local Government
Reforms, PAC undertook several activities as a follow up to 5th All-lnclusive Stakeholders
Conference in February,2OLG which were ratified by PAC Annual General Assembly in
December 20L6. To this end, the following interventions have been carried out:
a) lssued a statement in April 2Ot7 on “Unfulfilled Promises and Deep-rooted
Corruption” in which PAC took a position that the DPP Government had failed;
b) Held a 5+L Conference in June2OtT where delegates adopted recommendations;
g) PAC entered into dialogue with Government through Government Technical Team
(GTT) upon recommendation from the Conference;
All official correspondence to be addressed to the Secretary General
