Tag Archives: Peoples’ Party (PP)

Politics

Opposition side in Parliament to have parallel cabinet for checks and balances

Maravi Post correspondent
Malawi parliament building 

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.

 

Politics

Karonga north constituency becomes home of DPP as PP, UDF and MCP senior supporters join

Henry Chizimba
Karonga North: no-go zone for other political parties as PP.MCP, and UDF supporters join it

Karonga north constituency has become a no-go zone for other political parties as many supporters are dumping their formerly mighty parties to join the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Vincent Ghambi, despite being under the DPP, and Member of Parliament (MP) for consecutive term, most of the people were from the opposition parties. These are namely, People’s Party (PP), Malawi Congress Party (MCP), and United Democratic Front (UDF).

Ghambi won the two terms because he had the people’s trust, and not the DPP.

After loosing the people’s trust due to his failure to develop the area, and his behavior of staying in Lilongwe, Ghambi completely lost his supporters while the name of DPP was also almost dead in the district.

However, the coming in of Mungasulwa Mwambande, a renowned business tycoon from the area who is a member of the DPP family, has attracted many people from other political parties to join the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Mwambande, who is a crowd-puller, is also expected to stand as an MP in 2019 under DPP ticket.

As of Tuesday this week,, hundreds of supporters from UDF, PP and MCP enclaves, including their senior party officials, joined the ruling DPP.

Among the senior officials are Nikodem Kita (PP constituency governor), UDF shadow MP Juju Kayira, and MCP chairperson, just to name a few.

The group told the media that they decided to join the DPP because of the loving heart of Mwambande apart from the good leadership of President Peter Mutharika.

“We have not join med the ruling DPP because of money m, but because of Mwambande and the leadership of President Mutharika,” they said.

UDF shadow MP Juju Kayira said “no one can stand to Mwambande here and competing with him is just wasting time because he is loved by many people. Therefore we have decided to support him.”

In his remarks, Mwambande assured the gathering that he will not let them down.

“Let us work together as one family, we should all help our President to fulfill his vision,” said Mwambande.

DPP deputy regional governor for the north Smart Kayira, while welcoming the group said the door is open to everyone.

He said he believes that many people in other constituencies and districts in the region, will join DPP.

Recently, police in the north gave Mwambande a certificate of honor, as a number one person helping the police with different resources in order to end criminal activities in the district.

Politics

Chakwera calls for mental revolution on corruption; as PP and PPM supporters defect to MCP

Maravi Post correspondent
Lazarus Ckwera
MCP leader Lazarus Chakwera

SALIMA-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Lazarus Chakwera, is calling for a mental revolution, and repentance amongst the general public towards intense corruption that rocking the country’s developmental sectors.

Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition parties in Parliament, went further appealing to Malawians to stop accepting and clapping hands to the wrong doings that other people do so as to restore the country’s lost dignity.

The MCP leader was addressing a political rally at Msalura Primary School Ground in the lakeshore district of Salima after some People’s Party (PP) and People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) supporters, joined the country’s first and oldest political party.

The opposition leader continued expressing concern over the worrisome over-immense widespread corruption saying it has paralyzed the country’s development agenda, hence the need for total redemption from sinning.

He noted that those entrusted with power to protect the country’s coffers, were also the ones at the forefront of robbing the hard-earned taxpayers money.

“We are talking about things that have become acceptable when they should not be accepted. We are taking about people who are supposed to be trustees actually robbing Malawians. And we have a president that does nothing on Maize-gate even after inquiries have made recommendations for action, MCP’s president Chakwera said.

“Malawi needs to shape up. We need a mental revolution that says evil is evil, stealing is stealing and make sure we move on the right path,” Chakwera urges.

The MCP leader therefore, appealed to the people that are ready to join and rejoin the party, that the open door policy has been established to accommodate them all ahead of the 2019 tripartite elections.

“We know that at one stage or another, everyone was associated with the MCP but due to a number of reasons, they disassociated themselves with the party. We need to welcome them back. We need to build this country together as Malawians and hope lies in the MCP,” Chakwera said.

 

Malawi

Malawi ruling DPP to pin-down former PP government on disposal of the Presidential jet: tit for tat game

Maravi Post correspondent 2 Comments

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has on Saturday revealed its plan of taking to task the former People’s Party (PP) government especially on how it disposed Presidential jet.

In the year 2013, President Joyce Banda ordered the sale of the Presidential jet together with 60 government’s Mercedes vehicles which was bought by the late President Bingu Wa Mutharika.

Malawi ruling DPP to pin-down the former PP government on the disposal of the Presidential jet, tit for tat game

The decision follows the pressure from both, in the country and internationally that with its economic stature, Malawi cannot afford the luxury of running such jet as it had the annual running costs of £220, 000.

Maravi Post understand that the jet was sold at the price of £ 15 million to a South African based company, Bohnox Enterprises Limited after being advertised in February.

President Banda is in record telling the nation that the money was used to buy maize and military equipments among others.

However, after almost three years in office, the DPP government said it will now push the case.

Speaking in an interview, government spokesperson who is also the minister of information Nicholas Dausi said this is because the ruling DPP smells fishy on how the jet was sold and how the money was used.

“There is no any document to show how the jet was disposed or how the money was used. So we will look for the explanation from the former ruling party,” said Dausi.

However, some Malawians and political pundits have described the decision as a mere propaganda.

They believe that government is planning this as a tit for tat especially over the maize-gate scandal.

Meanwhile, the former PP government is yet to issue a comment on the matter.

Malawi

MCP, PP accuse Pres. Mutharika of shielding maize-gate suspects, rubbish his ‘waiting for concrete evidence’ over calls to get rid of Agriculture Minister and ADMARC boss

Maravi Post correspondent

Malawi’s two main opposition political parties Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Peoples Party (PP) have on Saturday rubbished the recent President Peter Mutharika’s remarks of waiting  for concrete evidence to suspend or fire Agriculture Minister Dr George Chaponda and ADMARC boss Foster Mulumbe over the Zambia maize-gate scandal calling Mutharika’s move as a veiled act intended to shield the suspects.

MCP legislator Kabwila: accuses Pres. Mutharika of shielding maize-gate suspects

On Friday during the swearing in of some government senior officials and maize-gate commissioners, Mutharika said he will not act on the maize-gate suspects without concrete evidence.

“As the country’s President, I am not allowed to act on speculation alone but act based on concrete evidence,” said Mutharika.

He then asked Malawians to be calm until 31 January, 2017 when the commissioners will bring their findings.

However, opposition parties including the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and former ruling Peoples Party (PP) said Mutharika’s remarks openly shows that he is shielding the suspects.

PP spokesperson Nowell Chimpeni expressed worry if the established commission will yield any tangible fruits.

“Some of the commissioners are civil servants, and one wonders if these people can be objective enough as to be able to investigate without fear or favor a Minister or their fellow senior civil servants?,” wondered Mulumbe.

Mulumbe added: “We always hear some of the suspects distancing themselves from the allegation in the media despite the matter being under investigation. In other words, they are indirectly telling the commission that they are innocent and should not waste their time.”

In her remarks, Jessie Kabwira from the main opposition MCP reminded President Mutharika that suspending the maize-gate suspects does mean that they will not return back to their respective works but just temporary to pave way for the investigation.

“It just the same as not establishing the commission of inquiry because the investigation will not be conducted fairly,” said Kabwira.

Some 18 Civil Society Organizations in the country also penned President Mutharika to suspend Chaponda and Mulumbe in order to let the commissioners conduct their investigation in free and fair manner.

The CSOs further demanded for the inclusiveness in the commission while asking the ADMARC boss to vacate the court injunction he took against the Times Group media house restricting it from carrying maize-gate stories.

Leader for the commission former Chief Justice Anastasia Msosa asked Malawians to trust them.

Chaponda however vehemently refuses to step down insisting that he is innocent.

Malawi

Road to Malawi 2019 elections: Joyce Banda ready to bounce back

Maravi Post correspondent 1 Comment
Banda; may consider contesting again
Banda; may consider contesting again

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost) – Malawi’s former President Joyce Banda has finally come out of the cocoon declaring that she is ready to bounce back with the intention of serving Malawians again.  Continue reading Road to Malawi 2019 elections: Joyce Banda ready to bounce back →

Politics, Top News

Joyce Banda’s Peoples Party defends Prophet Shepherd Bushiri on ‘Presidential Aspirations’ allegation

MaraviPost
Shephard Bushiri
Prophet Bushiri has no Presidential Aspirations

The Party of Former President Joyce Banda, Peoples’ Party (PP) has rubbished the news circulating in the country that the Malawian-South Africa based prophet Shepherd Bushiri is planning to stand as President in 2019 general elections.

According to the PP acting vice President Kamlepo Kaluwa who is also the Rumphi east law maker, Shepherd Bushiri has no ambition for such a position as he is a man of God. Continue reading Joyce Banda’s Peoples Party defends Prophet Shepherd Bushiri on ‘Presidential Aspirations’ allegation →