Written by Impi Ralph Chienda Ngozo
The argument of the proponents of 50 + 1 % model of electing our leaders is mainly national acceptance of the masses because the leader would have been deemed to have ascended to the office through majority vote.
Is this argument or rather reason pertinent? My observation is “NO” please consider the facts I am about to present purely personal and no one is entitled to probe or squeeze clarification whatsoever.
During the 2009 General elections, where if my memory is correct, Former president Dr Bakili Muluzi had a convenient marriage with MCP, (that story is for another day), However despite these two big opposition parties jointly working together with an intention of ousting DPP whose candidate was Late Professor Bingu WA Muntharika, commonly referred to as “the railway metal” because of his tough approach towards issues especially where he felt Malawians were being marginalized or being subjected to accept punitive conditions by the Breton wood brothers, the opposition did not succeed and Mulupale Bingu ended beating Hon John Tembo and Dr Bakili Muluzi alliance by 66.17%. This was by far above what others are crying for today. However, my interest is not the impressive performance by this economist; but rather what followed after this majority vote, did the masses accept Bingu? Everyone can honestly in our hearts confess.
Irrespective of the overwhelming majority votes that our president got then, his second term of office was a nightmare to Bingu’s life, the very things we are experiencing now ensued, others went to Mozambique to persuade Late Amando Gerbunza not to give Malawi access to the world inland port, the advantages that would have followed cannot be over emphasized. Others were conniving with the Breton wood to force fuel suppliers who are mostly westerners to stop giving Malawi fuel on credit, and this created a huge shortage on the market, this was to bring our economy to its knees so that we gave in to the demands of devaluation, same sex marriages etc. etc. By the way there is an election case still unresolved over this election.
Mind you, this was the same president who was voted into office through the “majority vote” but was never accepted by the very same pockets of people in our country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I think we have much bigger problems in our country than what is being propagated on the surface, up until this war is unveiled in its original colours, then will the masses understand the depth if this war. It begins through the efforts in vain to suppress the Dawning of democracy in Malawi and the voting patterns during the referendum in 1993 can better explain this, the efforts and frustration by our brethren from the North who feel the sight of leadership to emerge from their region are getting slimmer.
They have tried to spike in debate on the re-introduction of federalism system of government and died a natural death. The quota system is also something many of us don’t understand how it works let alone the fact that it is being used in many countries including Singapore and USA just to mention a few, but I believe this can be resolved through engagement where people fully understand the concept.
If the upcoming leadership who I am certain without contradiction that will emerge from the South, going to be accepted this time when he gets 50 + 1 % of votes? Aliyense ayankhe payekha payekha.
“When my mind is free, I write what I see” not edited
Grass is always Greener on the other side… If they lost they will find another reason to complain
Good analysis. But Armando Guebuza is not late. He is just former president not late. A destabilized Africa is good for the west. They take advantage of these destabilizations happening on the continent.
The very people who complain abou marginalisation are dominating the judiciary. Concourt judges erred in their judgement because they are corrupt. The Chief Justice comes from their region. The Speaker of Parliament comes from their region. THe army commander comes from their region. NGOs and multinational agencies in Malawi (IMF, World Bank, UN) are dominated by people from the same region. And they dominate the Reserve Bank of Malawi. This is where one sees how power hungry, EVIL and dishonest these people are.
Spot on. The proponents of 50+1 have always been dishonest. Our politicians cannot even form a coalition (Chilima and Chakwera have just failed in the past three weeks). Then, when coalitions win, there is bickering and power struggle which means government will become very stable at our cost. But there has been a plot which is now unravelling.