By Bertha Chirwa
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has described president Lazarus Chakwera’s address on Tuesday as empty and indifferent.
In a statement, DPP says Chakwera failed to live up to people’s expectations in addressing the suffering that Malawians are going through.
The statement says, “Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) alongside all suffering Malawians from Nsanje to Chitipa, awaited with abated breath and pregnant expectations at the announcement of the Address by President Chakwera that it will provide answers and concrete solutions to the suffering Malawians have been subjected to under the Tonse Alliance Administration.
“Sadly and as is always the case, the President’s Address failed to live up to its billing and expectations as it was indifferent, empty and provided no solace to the misery and suffering of Malawians. The President is completely detached from the suffering of Malawians and is not bothered to appreciate and provide solutions to the plight of the people of this country”.
DPP further argues that it has been providing constructive criticism and advice to the current administration on a number of issues of national concern including the economic crisis which according to them has fall on deaf ears.
“Out of politics, all the good advice provided by the DPP fell on deaf ears for fear that the Tonse Alliance Administration would be seen to be listening to the alternative voice of the Opposition.
“Virtually, every single advice given was dismissed outright with anger, disdain, indignation and furry that the Government will do it its own way and that they had no reason to listen to DPP, the Party they falsely and repeatedly accused of plundering and mismanaging the Malawi economy,” reads the statement.
It adds, “In the President’s own admission in his Address, the DPP stands tall and vindicated that what the Party has been advising all along has been proved right. The sad reality is that the President had to wait until the dead end when the economy has completely crumbled that he had to act and give instructions to change the fiscal and monetary policy frameworks of the country.
“Had the President’s taken these measures long time ago, the country would not have plunged to the current levels of economic meltdown”.
On the other hand, the party has advised the president to relieve from duty those that have been named in NCA investigationin their alleged connection to corruption.
“The matter is being investigated by both the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the British Government National Crimes Agency (NCA) and that is justification enough to relieve these public officers of their duties so that they do not interfere with investigations.
“The DPP therefore stands by its earlier position that the President should with immediate effect relieve on duty his Vice, his Minister of Youth, the Inspector General of Police, the Solicitor General now Principal Secretary for Ministry of Lands and all those already mentioned,” says DPP.
Chakwera has however given Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General 21 days to conclude the matter.
