President Peter Mutharika and Rival Atupele Muluzi Now Parners
‘You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time’ — Abraham Lincoln
During the first quarter of the year 2017 Appellate Justice Anthony Kamanga, SC and his Team Special Law Commission on the review of the electoral laws, gave its report that resounded with great hope for Malawians; and complete with a section that provides for a “women only ballot” in every district. The Review pot had other goodies like the 50+ 1 and the change in inauguration of the president among others.
The report highlighted that the “call to reform laws that regulate the administration and management of elections was long overdue and spans almost two decades. People were thirsty for change. With each passing electoral cycle, the intensity of the call for change has increased,” the preface of the review report categorically states Continue reading My Take on It: MPs, Executive short-changed Malawians thirst for electoral change→
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday attacked the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Public Affairs Committee (PAC) for plotting to overthrow him together with his government through electoral reform bills.
Mutharika made the remarks in Blantyre during the official launch of the Chichiri Business Park.
“I have met more religious leaders than any other President in the country. My relationship with them is very good; but some wanted to use the electoral reform bills agenda to bring down my government by force before the end of December this year,” said Mutharika.
The Malawian leader also used accused MCP President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera of being ‘too talkative’, saying he is ready to face him in 2019 during general election
“Let us wait for 2019 and I will meet you on the ground. I will beat you out,” added Mutharika who looked so angry.
Turning to the event, Mutharika hailed the Chinese government for developmental support render to the country.
“There is an investor who is ready to construct 20-storey office tower in Blantyre. We will construct a new stadium at Njamba Park. Kamuzu Stadium will wear a new turf soon; the turf will be in the country any time from now as it is already at Beira (port).
“The Business Park we are launching today will create more jobs; it will be a vibrant commercial hub in Blantyre. We have to unite and maintain peace to develop our country,” Mutharika said.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s powerful religious grouping, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) on Friday felt betrayed by the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after it shot down some of electoral reforms bills that were table in Parliament since Wednesday this week.
The three Bills which government shot down are the Assumption of Office President (Transitional Arrangement) Bill, Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Bill and the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill.
They were all shot down on Thursday and on Friday before the Second Reading.
PAC therefore regrets on what has happened described it as government’s conspiracy to frustrate its own Bills on electoral reforms and hinted that it will reignite mass demonstrations that were earlier called off.
The religious body’s Executive Director Robert Phiri said that having seen the outcome of the deliberations in the House, the board will soon meet and direct the secretariat on when exactly the demonstrations can be held.
Phiri further indicated that there were wide consultations on the Bills, using the civil society task force and that the shooting down of the Bills is regrettable and retrogressive to the advancement of democracy for the country.
“As a secretariat everything is ready. We have a minimum of 120 placards and reflectors for all the marchers countrywide. We have the banners, which are ready with the messages. So for us, it’s just a matter of the board’s resolution,” assures Phiri.
But leader of the House Kondwani Nankhumwa argued that MPs were only expressing their democratic right and voted according to their conscience and understanding of the Bills.
However, opposition political parties led by leader of opposition in the House, Lazarus Chakwera, grilled government front benches for taking Malawians for a ride and wasting hard earned taxpayers’ money by preparing the Bills only to turn around and shoot them down themselves.
Chakwera, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president described as “political circus” the conduct of the ruling DPP MPs who were also supported by some legislators of the former ruling People’s Party (PP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) and some independent lawmakers.
On Tuesday, this week PAC postponed the much awaited December 13, 2017 protest on condition that government will table and pass into laws on electoral reforms bills.
Muslim Commission for Social Justice (MCSJ), an organisations that looks at justice among Muslims on Tuesday asked the Muslims Association of Malawi (MAM) to stop representing Muslims at the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) over corruption allegations.
The development comes after MAM told Muslims in the country not to take part in the electoral reform demos organized by PAC claiming it was against the teaching of the Holy Book of Qur’an.
However, MCSJ Executive Director Abdul Aziz Jameson wondered why MAM pulled out of the PAC demos at eleventh hour.
“MAM is an eligible member of PAC representing us [Muslims]. The organization was with PAC when it presented its first petition to President Peter Mutharika and office of Speaker of Parliament on the same issue.
“We understand that in their first petition, PAC members gave the President and Speaker seven days ultimatum to bring the bill to the Parliament or else they will hold a national wide demonstration. So we wonder why MAM failed to denied at early stage,” he said.
According to Jameson, PAC has been and is always fighting for the well-being of Malawians therefore deserve supported from all religious group including MAM.
“The decision that MAM took especially on the electoral reform bills openly shows that it was bribed and instead of serving Malawi Muslims they are busy serving their political masters. Thus why we are asking MAM to step down,” he added.
Jameson said Muslims should find another organization that can represent them at PAC.
“I think MAM would have realised the importance of the bills before telling Malawi Muslims not to take part in the demos,” he suggested.
He then urged Muslims to wear Islamic regalia and take part in the demos especially when PAC reorganized it after postponed.
On Tuesday PAC postponed the peaceful nationwide demonstrations that were slated to take place today (Wednesday) after the executive brought the said bills to Parliament.
Speaker of Parliament also announced that the bills will be tabled on Thursday and passed by Friday this week.
However, the bill has been rejected in Parliament by government side.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost) – The Malawi Parliament Business Committee, on Monday agreed setting three days dedicated to debating the much a-waited electoral bill reforms.
The Business Committee said the days Wednesday to Friday this week will be dedicated to passing all the electoral bills into laws.
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.
Unknown robbers over the weekend, attacked the office of the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) spokesperson, Father Peter Mlomole, in Zomba Diocese Research and Development, Maravi Post has learned.
Confirming the development, Fr. Mlomole said the robbers stole K2. 5 million and some computers in the process.
According to him, the incident occurred around midnight on Saturday.
“They were almost ten in number, and they broke the main door after they had tied the watchman,” Mlomole said
However, the man of God said his personal laptop was not stolen as it was in his house.
When asked if a robbery has happened before or if he suspect that it was just a plot from his opponents, Mlomole said “this is the first time and I believe that the police will arrest the suspects,” deferring to respond to the idea of a political ploy.
Meanwhile, police said the investigations are underway on the incident.
Malawi’s democracy-minded religious grouping–the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has described President Peter Mutharika’s government as the most difficult to deal with in the history of the country.
Pres. Peter Mutharika: PAC says his govt is adamant and undemocratic
Through its publicity secretary Father Peter Mlomole said on Saturday that Muthariks administration has the the problem of pontification.
This comes against a background of Mutharika government’s unwillingness to settle issues raised by PAC in February last year bordering on good governance.
According to Father Mlomole, the religious leaders have observed that Mutharika’s administration is adamant and undemocratic clarifying that it does not listen to productive advice coming from people outside the government.
“We’ve been knocking at the government doors to settle the issues at hand but to avail. This is because government plays delay tactics on the matter,” said Mlomole.
He said the big problem with the current government is that its leadership believes that they are above everyone else and that they know everything inside out.
However, when asked to comment on the matter government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi wondered if such words are from the men of God.
“I don’t think the real men of God can say that, they are mandated to say words that can bring unity and peace but PAC should know that we are ready for the discussion and settle down the said issues,” argued Dausi.
It appears that it is not only PAC having such concerns about undemocratic tendencies in the Peter Mutharika’s administration. Just recently, several Malawians as well as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have also shared PAC’s concerns.
Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has urged Malawians to be active and stand up against corruption, which according to the religious grouping, is tearing the country apart.
A recent Public Affairs Committee (PAC) interface with the media in Malawi has put to light a number of issues including that a great number of MPs dodge to pass important bills deliberately in parliament resulting in delay of development in communities.
Speaking during two-day PAC training workshop for male and female media practitioners on proposed Local Government Act Amendments (LGA)in Mponela Board Treasure for PAC Bishop Flord Matonga observe that there are three sticky issues that needs to be addressed in a proposed LGA before passed into law. Continue reading Majority of Malawian MPs refusing to pass critical bills in Parliament- PAC→
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