By: Lloyd M’bwana
The country’s human rights watchdog body, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has emphasized the need for Public Affairs Committee (PAC)’s All-inclusive conference resolutions to have clear and well-defined monitoring framework of its implementation in a bid to win people’s trust of its legality.
The call comes amid dissatisfaction from stakeholders including opposition parties towards the decision PAC has made by excluding other resolutions which came out of the just recent conference held last month in Blantyre.
Some of the recommendation made during the conference including establishment of legalized National Economic Planning Commission (NEPC), President Peter Mutharika to step down if he fails to release maize to all the Admarc deports within 30 days, form an interim government of National unity comprising all political parties, CSOs
and religious leaders, call for early elections, President Peter Mutharika should call for help from international organization and local communities for the provision of maize, change of electoral voting system, allocate resources to ministry of health, agriculture and education be proportional to the need of sector, government should institute austerity measures in order to curb government wasteful spending and government should invest in production and manufacturing.
But PAC’ final communiqué released last week excluded some recommendations especially that of giving Mutharika 30 days to release maize to all the Admarc deports failing which must resign which according to PAC such calls were hard to implement as President mandate is bestowed by the people upon entrusting him with power saying the continual eroding of people trust then the leaders can succumb to resignation.
In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post this week, CHRR is calling PAC secretariat to put clear measures on how delegate resolutions could be implemented with monitoring mechanism to win its legality and significant in the eyes of the general public.
CHRR further urges government to take full charge and responsibility over concerns raised in various forums including PAC as it’s mandated by the people of this country to runs the shore of the state without favor and biasness.
“We urge the Malawi government to take lead – as provided by law – in the implementation of the resolutions emanating from this important gathering. We cannot agree with PAC’s observations more that while the citizens have the role in helping the government through suggesting the solutions on how the country can come out of the current economic mess, the ultimate responsibility still lies with the government as the main duty bearer.
“It is therefore important for government to take full responsibility of the current mess by amongst other things acting on these recommendations which are a product of dialogue and engagement. Equal attention should also be paid to the recommendation on the need for government to act on the 2007 Law Commission Constitutional review recommendations.
In the same vein, we urge the Opposition, media, civil society and other players to play a pro-active role in monitoring government’s implementation of the recommendations in the best interest of the nation.
“PAC should also come up with a clear and well-defined monitoring framework of implementation of the resolutions, and also identify a specific date when a follow-up meeting of the same nature will be staged to specifically appreciate progress”, urges CHRR Statement signed by its Executive Director, Timothy Mtambo.
