BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)- Tempers flared on Wednesday afternoon in the ongoing the Public Affairs Committee’s (PAC) 5+1 All-Inclusive stakeholder’s conference, after some delegates demanded the resignation of President Peter Mutharika.
The rejection suggests that PAC executive committee has backtracked on the agenda in the heat of criticism for conducting itself like a political party.
The self-acclaimed supreme leader of People’s Land Organization (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale, and human rights defender Billy Mayaya, made the regime change call attempt, which did go down well the Government representatives in the room.
The call was in sharp contrast to the set agenda of the conference, which was to remove the Government.
“I want to request that in the name of fairness, we should remove the President and his team and perhaps have the Vice President take over,” Wandale asked.
Standing on a point of order, the visibly charged Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) central region vice president Hetherwick Ntaba, objected the discussions.
Ntaba demanded an explanation from PAC of the actual theme of the conference, arguing that Government had come to discus serious national issues.
“I would like to appeal for order. I think we have very serious national issues to discus, but what is happening now is a disgrace. Let us know if the theme is regime change, because we have not come here for that.
“We came here for serious business that needs serious attention. If it’s about regime change, we are ready to stand up to that. We can challenge and be worse than that,” Ntaba said.
Concurring with Ntaba, Reverend Misanjo Kansilanga, former PAC chairperson, bluntly told off the two and urged the delegates against discussing issues that are not on the agenda of the conference.
Even Catholic Bishop Thomas Msusa, and gender activist Emmie Chanika, opposed the motion by Wandale and Mayaya to remove Mutharika.
Bishop Msusa argued that PAC has no legal mandate to force regime change, and said it was only a religious body and not a political party.
On her part, Chanika while making reference to other countries where sudden change of government brought chaos, and anguish, wondered who would take over Government if PAC brought down the Mutharika administration.
Under the theme titled, “The state of governance and public trust: Reclaiming our destiny”, the conference is expected to examine the state of governance and public trust, and develop a consensus on practical interventions, in a bid to hold leaders accountable in Malawi.
The meeting also focuses on enhancing a conversation on actionable steps to be followed towards enforcing implementation and actions on crucial issues of national concerns.
Heavy armed police officers are manning Mount Soche Hotel where the conference is being held and also in Blantyre Central.
