Moses Kunkuyu: now presidential advisor on chiefs and rural governance
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—As Malawians are still waiting for appointments of parastatal boards, that are very crucial for the running of government affairs, President Lazarus Chakwera has added some ‘spent forces’ to his league of advisors by roping in Malawi Congress Party (MCP) campaign director Moses Kunkuyu and other two political gurus.
Kunkuyu, who previously served as minister of information in the government of Joyce Banda between 2012 and 2014, has been appointed presidential advisor on Chiefs and Rural Governance.
Confirming the development, Kunkuyu said he will be working in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to bring the traditional leaders closer to Chakwera’s development agenda.
The other two include former Member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe North East Maxwell Thyolera and People’s Party (PP) vice president Ephraim Chibvunde who have been appointed as Presidential advisor on Parliamentary Affairs and advisor on Political Affairs respectively.
Reacting, governance expert and commentator Makhumbo Munthali has cautioned the president on the appointment of the advisors whose contribution has, for a long time, been questionable.
“I think we need to revisit the role of presidential advisors in the country to avoid duplicating their roles with some of the ministries around because where there is a line ministry then the role of the minister is being advisor to the President,” Munthali said.
Presidential advisors are entitled to 500 litres of fuel a month, a vehicle which they drive themselves, medical scheme and airtime, free water, free electricity, DStv subscription at a combined cost of almost K300 000.
Some quarters have argued that the appointments are rewards to president’s cronies who helped him during the campaign in the previous court sanctioned presidential election.
File Photo: Malawi Parliament refuses to Pass Important Bills
Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday asked the Minister of Finance, Economic and Planning Dr Goodall Gondwe to raise their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K18 million to K30 Million.
The MPs said this in Parliament when the Finance Minister was addressing the House that Government has set aside some funds through the district councils, to use for the drilling of boreholes in every constituency.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The former Speaker of Malawi Parliament Davis Katsonga, was on Wednesday banned from the Parliament proceeding for one week after he defied the august House’s dress code.
Katsonga, who is also the lawmaker for Mwanza Central, on Tuesday walked out of the chamber in protest against the Second Speaker Clement Chiwaya’s verdict that the cultural headgear is not allowed in the house.
The former speaker’s protest coincided with Chiwaya’s revoking of the Standing Order 105 for the latter to leave the House and come back on Wednesday.
Surprisingly, Katsonga came back into the House chambers ?on Wednesday afternoon, wearing the same Ngoni culture headgear, which prompted Lilongwe North East legislator Maxwell, to plead for Chiwaya to assert his decision.
Thyolera, who is also Parliamentary Legal Affairs Chairperson, said he was surprised to see the member back into the House in the same attire which he had been told not wear while attending Parliament proceedings.
“Mr. Second Deputy Speaker Sir, yesterday (Tuesday) you advised an hourable member about the dress code for this Hiuse, and you directed that if any member has an issue with the dress code, they can report the same to the Legal Affairs Committee,” Thyolera said.
“But, to our surprise the hourable member is back in the House in the same attire. Is it in order for the member to do that?” Thyolera queried.
The Deputy Speaker Chiwaya equally shared the same observation with Thyolera, noting that Katsonga’s behavior was tantamount to indiscipline and required disciplinary action for defying the House’s dress code.
“Him being a former Speaker, is supposed to be exemplary. It’s for this reason, I am invoking Section 105 that the hourable member should not attend proceedings for one week,” ruled Chiwaya.
Eventually, Katsonga left the chamber amid “Bayethe Nkosi” (respect to king) chats from some members who on Tuesday, had defended the cultural headgear. They had argued that as an Impi of the Maseko Ngonis’ Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V, he was supposed to put the headgear on it all the time.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Government on Tuesday, gave a cold shoulder to opposition parties in Parliament after it announced that the much-awaited elections bill will be tabled in the November sitting, not the current budget session.
The House nearly degenerated into chaos when members from both sides, failed to amicably conclude debate on question Lilongwe North East legislator, Maxwell Thyolera, wanted Justice Minister and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu, to respond on the bill.
Minister Tembenu response whose response was that the bill will not be tabled in the current sitting, but the November session, was not welcomed news to the opposition bench.
Tembenu justified the decision, said the Special Law Commission on the bill, was posted to his office late on April 20, this year. He also cited the tight schedule of the Commission.
“The report has just been presented to my ministry, and it has to go to Cabinet. We have to understand that all laws are for Malawians, and I have no power to frustrate any of them. The Bill will be tabled during the November meeting, not now,” Tembenu said.
But the opposition argued that it was a deliberate Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) move, to frustrate the effort made in the report from the Commission, which outlines various recommendations ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Thyolera accused the minister of changing his mind, after he had earlier opposed a Private Member’s Bill on Elections, on the basis that Government would be bringing bills to the House on the matter, by June this year, but the case is now different.
“Taking into account that the Electoral Commission, expressed fears that preparations would be affected, if there is a delay in the legislative reforms, I want assurance that the Bill will be tabled as soon as possible,” Thyolera said.
Supposing the Bill is tabled in November, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), will not have enough time to prepare itself administratively, for the changes on the electoral processes, that might occur when the Bills are passed.
Last month, the Special Law Commission on the review of Electoral Law, made drastic changes in the way general elections will be handled in the future, with a new recommendation that the country should adopt the 50+1 system for electing the head of state and government.
The legal electoral clause, will provide that for a person to be declared a winner in presidential elections, he or she must acquire 50+1 percent of the total votes casted.
In its final report, the Commission found that the election of the president through the present first-past-the post mode, has challenges regarding the legitimacy of a winning president, where the winner gets less than 50% of the total votes cast.
This proposal aims at amending Section 96 (5) of Parliamentary and Presidential Elections that stipulates any candidate who has obtained a majority vote, shall be declared as a winner.
The Commission Chairperson Anthony Kamanga, who recently presented the report to the media, also proposed that there should be maximum education qualification for person seeking elective office. The current law does not provide such a yardstick, but only requires a presidential candidate speaks and reads English, and is aged 35 tears.
The report recommends that presidential candidates and their running mates, should possess minimum of a first degree or its equivalent from recognized or accredited institutions.
Therefore, the Commission has set for a person to compete in Parliamentary and local councils elections, must be the holders of a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE), and able to read and speak English.
The report further proposed special Parliamentary seats for women in each district in the country, to ensure that they occupy a certain minimum number of seats in the national assembly.
Additionally the Special Commission, made the startling recommendation on that the swearing-in of the president-elect, and vice president-elect be conducted after 30 days the election date, not within 30 days, which is currently provided in the election law. This would provide for a proper transition period with the predecessors.
The Commission furthermore, consolidated and harmonized all electoral laws to ensure that they speak to each other, with the introduction of six bills including the Constitution (Amendment), Electoral Commission (Amendment), Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections, Elections Management Fund, and the Assumption of the Office of President of Referendum.
Electoral stakeholders are yet to react to the Commission’s recommendations, after they waited many years for them; whose aim is to provide a climate for fair and credible election results.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- The opposition political parties represented in Malawi Parliament, are on the verge of forming a parallel cabinet for various government agencies and ministries works’ as a checks and balance measure.
This is one of proposals or the Parliament’s Legal Affairs committee. It is intending to debate the proposal in the ongoing budget session.
Once adopted, the proposal is to adopted by the whole house, the Leader of the opposition in Parliament, will have the mandate to appoint a parallel cabinet, comprising members from all opposition parties in the National Assembly.
Currently, the main opposition parties have their own shadow cabinet ministers, who respond and present issues affecting their line of expertise.
The Legal Affairs Committee Chairperson Maxwell Thyolera, told The Nation newspaper that the role of the opposition parallel cabinet was for check and balances in the line government ministries.
Thyolera said the new arrangement was also aimed at improving effectiveness of the system between the Parliament and Executive arms of government.
“As leader of opposition, instead of appointing a shadow cabinet from the party he or she is coming from, must also consider the other parties that are in opposition and represented in parliament.
Currently, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), and People’s Party (PP) have their own shadow cabinets, which is something that is not regulated anywhere.
“The new parallel cabinet’s key role will be the checks and balances of the line ministries. We made comparative studies. It is happening in other jurisdictions and its working quite well”, assures Thyolera.
The committee is also expected to table other key recommendations, including mandatory appearance of the President, to respond to questions, which conforms with the Republic Constitution. It also trims the number of parliamentary committees from current 22 to about 13.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) brought the Chilembwe Day fracas in parliament which left some of its members injured after being attacked by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Thursday, Lilongwe north east MP Maxwell Thyolera accused the DPP cadets of beating opposition MCP members in full view of police officers.
DPP thugs in action
Thyolera, who is also director of elections in the MCP, made the remarks in parliament during the question time.
He said an MCP member was beaten up during Chilembwe Day comemoration in Chiradzulu.
“The opposition members are beaten in full view of police, in the presence of the Head of State,” said Thyolera.
He also said another opposition member was beaten up at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and the police took no action.
Home Affairs minister Grace Chiumia said the party should have reported the matter to a nearest police station.
Information minister Nicholas Dausi already quashed the accusations, arguing during the Chilembwe Day incident the MCP member was distributing party materials during the function, which was “illogical and inconceivable” to do that.
His allegation was vehemently denied by MCP deputy secretary general Eisenhowver Mkaka.
LILONGWE (Maravi Post)–The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has asked the treasury to release funds meant for conducting by-election in Mchinji west constituency saying further delays in conducting the election is tantamount to violation of people’s rights to representation.
The demand comes barely 60 days after the constituency fell vacant following the death of MCP Lawmaker Billy Kanjira Banda. The country’s electoral laws are very clear that if the constituency is vacant, by-elections must be held within 60 days.
Few weeks after the death of the late MP Kanjira Banda, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) released a draft calendar of events for the constituency’s by-election but the public was amazed with reports that the electoral body had no funds which the treasury refused arguing that MEC did not submit financial plan towards the exercise.
Meantime, Treasury and MEC are blaming each other over the availability of funds to hold the by-election prompting other quarters of the society to question government commitment towards promotion of democracy.
Addressing a news conference on Friday in the capital Lilongwe; Maxwell Thyolera, Eisenhower Mkaka and Alekeni Menyani; MCP’s Director of Elections, Deputy Secretary General and Public Relations Officer respectively questioned the wisdom behind the delay in conducting the said by-election despite funds availability.
The party accused the treasury of conniving with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to play delay tactics saying that DPP is not ready for the exercise hence giving unjustifiable reasons for the delay.
“This is violation of the country’s constitution of electoral laws and people of Mchinji west constituency’s right to representation. The area needs someone who can initiate development projects through Community Development Fund (CDF) and Local Development Fund (LDF). A Member of Parliament (MP) is important to a constituency as they sign cheques for cashing funds especially on CDF. Therefore their absence for a long time is tantamount to holding people to a ransom for development.
“What has come to our knowledge is that DPP is not ready for the elections as its failing to feature a candidate as many they approached happen to be our members and they refused to take such gamble knowing that the area is for MCP. Unfortunately, the treasury has been trapped into the cage of violating the electoral laws,” observed Thyolera.
Echoing on the same, Mkaka hinted that the party would push for the release of the funds to hold the by-election by using all avenues until the matter was dealt with decisively but failed to disclose what further actions the party will take if treasury continue to play delaying tactics in releasing the funds.
Menyani added that the party was ready to participate in the elections following successful MCP primary elections held last month where a retired secondary school head teacher, Jephter Mwale beat the party’s big guns and former legislators including Theresa Mwale and Henry Fwataki.
Through the same press conference, MCP announced plans to conduct district elections in its six regional committees as party of party building process a head of 2019 tripartite elections which is slated for May 28, 2016 starting with central and lakeshore regions.
There was no immediate reaction from Ministry of Finance’s Spokesperson, Nations Msowoya and MEC’s Director of Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa.
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