Public Affairs Committee (PAC), a powerful religious grouping in Malawi has once again blasted President Peter Mutharika’s executive extravagance type of leadership with short sight of what course of action must be taken in bailing out Malawians from social-economic turmoil.
The development comes barely some days after the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) made similar accusation by calling all Malawians to rise against unreasonable policy reforms which are said to be perpetuating poverty which only favor the rich and party loyalists.
Through a press statement released on Sunday, September 27, 2015 Reverend Felix Chingota and Father Peter Mulomole, PAC’s Chairperson and Publicity Secretary respectively which is also available to The Maravi Post, the religious grouping has taken a swipe at President Mutharika rule for a saliva for spending tax-payers money extravagantly the time Malawians are going on hell with punitive public reforms.
PAC has questioned the wisdom behind the recent reports over 115 people including party loyalists, maids have accompanied Mutharika to the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying such money spent on the trip could have been channeled better to hospitals than on the Summit.
PAC reminded the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s leadership of its commitment to economic prudence to one of the 19 issues raised in 2011-2012 as the currently situation is similar of that time whereby constant electricity blackouts, water problems, skyrocketing prices of goods and services due to depreciation of the country currency, The Kwacha.
“Pac deeply shocked over lack of medical and equipment supplies in our hospitals. The country seems to be drifting to the old days reminding Malawians of an economic situation of 2011-2012. With the DPP second coming into power promised to return to financial discipline and implementation that also there wont be any political interference nor intimidation in the work of civil servants.
“Contrary to these commitments we have noticed contradiction in recent weeks has awakened the conscience of Malawians to question the integrity of government. A good example is a decision to travel to UN General Assembly with over 111 officials as reported of whom some simply party officials and sympathizers. The conduct is a fundamental departure from the correct position of enhancing financial discipline at the time millions of Malawians are suffering.
“With such a conduct, no doubt, the public policy has been cast into question despite some strides in the area of reforms. As of recently, government dramatized the Public Reforms Programme by scraping Junior Certificate to serve MK1.9 billion as a measure of removing unnecessary expenditure in education system, and yet the executive on the other hand makes a decision to travel to New York with huge delegation. The UN Assembly is associated with large expenditures which we at PAC describe the decision as a hypocritical move given the commitment on financial discipline”, reads the statement.
On cabinet appointment though President Mutharika maintained 20 members, PAC noted with concerns over upholding of the same questionable personalities tainted with old approaches to political and development continue to guide the public policy of this country.
The grouping observed that lack of inclusivity at cabinet level has left a big dent resulting in failure to amass support positive policy drive hence supporting for inclusive cabinets as it works better effective policy formulation and implementation.
PAC also worried with continual of violation of the constitution citing crossing of the floor in Malawi’s Parliament saying if the DPP administration could not know the relevance of Section 65 yet it went for unnecessary political arrangement with UDF that unreasonable court injunctions could be obtained.
“We further re-iterate that the government has ignored fundamental principles enshrined in the Republican Constitution Section 12 (c) that the authority exercise powers of the state is conditional upon the sustained trust of the people of Malawi and that trust can only be maintained through open, accountable and transparent government and informed democratic choice as it seems that the economic direction of this country has been lost”, concludes the PAC statement.
The Maravi Post’s efforts to get reaction from government through Minister of Information, Jappie Mhango who is also the state’s Spokesperson could not be available despite several calls.
Public Affairs Committee is one of the powerful religious group whose influence on Malawi’s political scene is undisputable comprise of Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Malawi Councils of Churches (MCC), Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Quadria Association of Malawi (QAM) and Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM).
Apart from fighting for democracy during 1994 elections, PAC was also instrumental in thwarting former president Bakili Muluzi’s infamous third term and open term bids. Third term and open term bids.