LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawian civil rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has demanded President Lazarus Chakwera to immediately step down for making false campaign promises.
In a press statement released on Monday, January 18, 2021 and available to The Maravi Post, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa observes that president Chakwera promises aimed at voting him into power not necessarily to help Malawians.
Namiwa said was shocked on Sunday night of January 17, 2021 when President Chakwera told Malawians that the Tonse Alliance campaign promises were made on assumptions and conditions that no longer hold.
The CDEDI director said that Malawi leaders’s sentiments are highly insensitive, careless, irresponsible and a futile attempt to dupe Malawians who voted for the Tonse Alliance following their campaign promises one of which was that they will contain the further spread of the pandemic but to no avail.
Namiwa added that Chakwera’s address clearly vindicates CDEDI’s earlier stand that Malawians were on June 23, 2020 sold a dummy as barely six months in office, the president has backtracked on almost all his flagship campaign promises.
“Chakwera’s sentiment is a clear testimony that Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance partners are liars and can no longer be trusted with the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the 18 million plus Malawians hence the need for him to step down.
“The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is demanding President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to immediately step down for confessing publicly to Malawians that he made false campaign promises just to be voted into the high office of the presidency,” says Namiwa.
“This is contrary to section 12 of the Republican Constitution that emphasizes on trust between those in authority and those that are being governed. Breach of trust is enough reason for the President to stepdown, with immediate effect,” reads part of CDEDI statement.
Below is CDEDI full statement:
PRESIDENT CHAKWERA SHOULD STEPDOWN IMMEDIATELY FOR TELLING LIES TO MALAWIANS
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is demanding President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to immediately step down for confessing publicly to Malawians that he made false campaign promises just to be voted into the high office of the presidency.
CDEDI and indeed all well-meaning Malawians had a shock of their lives on Sunday night, 17th of January 2021 when President Chakwera, during his address to the nation, shamelessly told Malawians that the Tonse Alliance campaign promises were made on assumptions and conditions that no longer hold. This is highly insensitive, careless, irresponsible and a futile attempt to dupe Malawians. The country, and indeed all the voters may recall that the court sanctioned Fresh Presidential Elections (FPE) were held when already the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Malawi in April, 2020. Infact one of the reasons the Tonse Alliance was ushered into government was a promise they made to contain the further spread of the pandemic and cushion the poor whom they claimed were left out in the response by the previous regime.
Furthermore, during the court hearing sessions for the Presidential Elections Case in Lilongwe, Dr. Chakwera and Dr. Chilima were both seen wearing face masks, and indication that they were aware of the pandemic.
Chakwera’s sentiments on Sunday night, 17th January 2021 clearly vindicate CDEDI’s earlier stand that Malawians were on June 23, 2020 sold a dummy as barely six months in office, Dr. Chakwera has backtracked on almost all his flagship campaign promises, including that of ensuring that the poor were protected from the shocks of the strict COVID-19 preventive measures by way of providing them with safety nets.
On the other hand, this is a clear testimony that Dr. Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance partners are liars and can no longer be trusted with the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the 18 million plus Malawians, since they have shamelessly proven that they cannot be taken for their word. This is contrary to section 12 of the Republican Constitution that emphasizes on trust between those in authority and those that are being governed. Breach of trust is enough reason for the President to stepdown, with immediate effect.
On his decree to close markets by 5pm, CDEDI is reminding the President to get back to what he said seven months ago to the people of Mbayani, Zorozoro, Ntandire and Ndirande, just to mention but a few, that Malawi is still a hand to mouth economy where the majority poor survive on less than K500 a day where they have to hustle and rush back home in the evening to buy food from the nearest markets.
And due to fuel price adjustments, minibus operators have hiked minibus fares, and this has forced a lot of people, including the working class, to start walking to and from their places of work. These people will find the markets closed by the time they reach home in the evening.
Dr. Chakwera has, therefore, literally signed death certificates of poor Malawians whose daily survival depends on these markets. This is the more reason CDEDI is demanding Dr. Chakwera’s resignation with immediate effect because he has proven to the nation that he indeed lied since he is clueless about running government.
CDEDI and indeed all well-meaning Malawians were puzzled when the President declared a state of disaster on 12th January 2021 in line with the rising cases of the COVID-19.
Ironically, the President extended a bowel to the donor community, begging for material and financial assistance, and yet just a day prior to the declaration, Dr. Chakwera approved a payment of over 7 Billion Malawi Kwacha to his lawyers and those of the Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima who represented them in the Presidential Elections Case.
If the President were serious about the pandemic, he surely would’ve halted this hefty payment, and would’ve channeled these funds towards the fight against the pandemic. If Dr. Chakwera were indeed serious about fighting the pandemic, he would’ve immediately reshuffled and trimmed his cabinet as well as his contingent of advisors in order to save money for this cause. But now we know that we have a President who has his priorities upside down, and this is the reason why CDEDI is demanding Dr. Chakwera’s immediate resignation.
Malawians will no longer be taken for granted because they were promised cushioning measures and they want then now. But we know that the President has no clue whatsoever, on how these cushioning measures could be brought about, hence CDEDI call that Dr. Chakwera should pave the way for someone who is fit to make the right decisions that can save this country from shame and disaster which is now looming.
It is for these above stated reasons, and more that have compelled CDEDI in collaboration with the Blantyre Small Scale Business Operators, the Minibus Drivers and Conductors Association, the Kabanza operators, and indeed all well-meaning Malawians to proceed with the peaceful demonstrations in Blantyre that will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 19th January, 2021, as earlier planned.
The demonstrations got a nod from the city authorities but were postponed in order to comply and respect President Chakwera’s decree that the country had to observe three days of mourning from Tuesday, 12th January to Thursday, 14th January in respect of the departed souls of Hon. Belekanyama, who was the Minister of Local Government, and Hon. Sidik Mia who was the Minister of Transport.
We are extending this call for peaceful demonstrations in all the cities and towns against Dr. Chakwera who has proven to the nation that he cannot be trusted, and therefore should immediately resign.
Meanwhile, CDEDI will in collaboration with the Blantyre Small Scale Business Operators, the Minibus Drivers and Conductors Association and the Kabanza operators, proceed with the planned peaceful Blantyre demonstrations on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
“We are extending this call for peaceful demonstrations in all the cities and towns against Dr. Chakwera who has proven to the nation that he cannot be trusted, and therefore should immediately resign,” reads another part of the statement.
The demonstrations were expected to be held last Friday but were postponed when the country was observing three days of mourning the death of two cabinet ministers, honorable Lingson Belekanyama and honorable Sidik Mia who all succumbed to COVID-19.
Both State House and government spokesperson Brian Banda and Gospel Kazako respectively are yet to respond on Namiwa’s calls for Chakwera to resign.
This reverend masquerading as a politician is a disgrace to fellow men of the book. It is preached that lying is a sin before God and mankind. Chakwera can not be forgiven because what he accused others in the past is exactly what he is practising. He basically shot himself in the foot by appointing his kinsmen and family friends into crucial positions that needed professionals and not NYAU people. Now he can feel the heat from the kitchen. From the word go, it was evident that the man was simply an empty tin judging from the unnecessary noise he paraded on the platform. He tried to play clever but cleverness comes with time and profound background. The guy is not fit for office hence his directives are non-starters. What Malawians put into office is a typical Malawian Trump. He talks of Covid-19 derailing their campaign promises, was it not him and his cohorts who accused DPP that they brought up Covid-19 lockdown measures in order to avoid the elections that put Chakwera on the seat subsequently? Why should he talk of the virus as if it just came on the scene yesterday? What Namiwa is saying is true. Actually, after seeing that the noose is getting tighter by the day, Chakwera summoned his cabinet to choose a successor after failing to manage in less than 6 months. Possibly the best he can do is to step-down, give the baton to Zeze and let him showcase his mouth runaway practices. Surely, 2025 should have come soon, those are the wishes from Chakwera & Chilima, for they thought government business is talking American English and lifting bags of fertiliser/push-ups on the podium. What a shameful contingent of useless wannabe semi-politicians.
You make so much sense Sir