The Maravi Post

PERSPECTIVE

B esides political opportunism, partisanship seems to be a major deterrent to our fragile democracry. Instead of promoting a healthy and legitimate debate in our society, politicians, the media and civil society couch their language in a manner that stifles debate. Ironically, the very same groups were up in arms against the late president Bingu wa Mutharika on virtually every issue. Today, they see nothing wrong, it’s all praises. We have, for example, ministers like Henry Dama Phoya trying to show off some of the needless semantics in parliament to curtail opposition members from participating in real and tangible debates regarding the role of global lender International Monetary Fund which has had its wish granted after Malawi, under a new government, devalued its currency.

Phoya went further to scorn former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members for praising the former president yet he was singing the same song praising President Joyce Banda on how she is leading as opposed to ruling.

Hon. Phoya should by now know that Malawians don’t care about such semantics. All we need and should have is a president who can run the affairs of government so that we can afford the basic necessities of daily leaving. It’s retrogressive for a government to be consistently avoiding debating real issues and spending time and tax money praising the leadership. Needless hand-clapping will not put food on the table or put desks in schools or still pay teachers’ salaries.

Can Uladi Mussa prove that DPP has been sponsoring crime in the country by supplying guns to criminals? If this minister has such information, why not hand it over to the police? Simwaka
Then there is Hon. Uladi Mussa. He uttered a number statements which would make one believe that if Ralph Kasambara was in opposition he could have happily taken him to task. Well, I know they are in the same team, so nothing is wrong there, I guess. Can Uladi Mussa prove that DPP has been sponsoring crime in the country by supplying guns to criminals? If this minister has such information, why not hand it over to the police?

It’s about time the minister realised that cheap propaganda doesn’t bold well for our democracy. The minister needs to be reminded Mutharika is dead; he is no longer in power. Blaming him for everything won't do. Now is the time to correct Mutharika’s mistakes.  In my mind, it’s fair to conclude that politicians like Mussa know that they have the backing of government and can say whatever they want without being taken to task.

If I may ask, where is the media? Why is the media not asking tough questions? What are they afraid of? Simwaka

If I may ask, where is the media? Why is the media not asking tough questions? What are they afraid of? I thought when Bingu was alive; they had started boycotting press conferences because they were being intimidated! Are they being intimidated today?

While talking about blaming others, Ken Lipenga has just been cleared of any wrongdoing after he lied to parliament and the nation. I find it amazing how everything seems to be normal after a whole Finance Minister can present his own budget and feign ignorance on whatever he was presenting. First of all, it was stupid for a government to investigate itself. I mean, we can’t have a whole vice president chairing an inquiry investigating one of its cabinet members. Why didn’t we have an independent inquiry?

On the other hand all this wasn’t necessary. In following all past proceedings in the parliament regarding "question time", the minister isn't supposed to answer a question that he doesn’t know as the minister is allowed to come back to it after thorough consultation with his ministry on the right answer. But this wasn’t the case here as Hon. Lipenga didn’t bother to verify with his budget technocrats who knew what was in the budget if, as he claims, didn’t know anything!

Lipenga is a man of tremendous academic achievements. I refuse to buy his excuses. He isn't fit to be finance minister. He must resign.? Simwaka
Lipenga is a man of tremendous academic achievements. I refuse to buy his excuses. He isn't fit to be finance minister. He must resign. Where are civil society organisations that had promised to protest if he remained in office? 

The government says it wants to end corruption. Unfortunately, the approach taken thus far seems to be a political witch-hunt.  We know the likes of Patricia Kaliati, Goodall Gondwe and Vuwa Kaunda who belong to DPP are accused of corruption.  But wait a minute. We were told former president Bakili Muluzi wasn’t well enough to stand trial. Interestingly, his good health came to life again after Bingu's death. Muluzi can now freely travel outside the country to even monitor elections. The question is: What suddenly changed? And where’s the media? Where’s the civil society that wants accountability?

And finally we have a constitution that’s been ignored in some cases or applied selectively depending on who is the beneficiary.  As we all know, the president assumed that status by upholding the Constitution and yet she herself is failing to defend the same Constitution that not only helped her but also swore to uphold. The Constitution only provides for the vice president to finish off the unexpired term of the departing president in which case the vice becomes automatically the head of the former president's governing council. 

In my view it doesn’t warrant the incoming president to usher in a totally new political party as a ruling government. A ruling government is attained through normal course of general election. Allow me to repeat what I stated in my other contributions in this publication. Simwaka
In my view it doesn’t warrant the incoming president to usher in a totally new political party as a ruling government. A ruling government is attained through normal course of general election. Allow me to repeat what I stated in my other contributions in this publication. Our Constitution requires a review to iron out some of the anomalies that exist, including having the president having the ability to hire and fire his/her vice. It’s important that we allow a fully uncensored debate beyond the Joyce Banda/Cassim Chilumpha/Bingu wa Mutharika saga. It’s now the time to rethink beyond partisan politics because the same situation is bound to happen.

South Africa's Constitution provides for the president to hire and fire the vice; so is Zambia's and Kenya's. The point isn't whether we should copy from other countries or whether Zambia is now contemplating switching to our type but to do what is right for our country.  It’s therefore important to have a healthy debate on these issues because we don’t need to have a vice president who can at one point decide to stay home or rebel against the president and still be called the second in command.

Still on the Constitution, Section 65 of the Malawi Constitution is clear as far as" crossing the floor" is concerned yet the freedom and champions of democracy -- the Law Society; Civil Society leaders Undule Mwakasungula and John Kapito; and the media -- are silent on this important matter. I don’t care about one’s political philosophy but my concern is that since some people chose to insist on invoking the Constitution when it came to installing Joyce Banda as president; they should do the same now as the same Constitution hasn’t changed. As a matter of fact Section 65 has been exhaustively argued in the courts up to the Supreme Court and for the government to fight and apply for the injunction is silly. The court should’ve denied the government’s application in the first place as the same court already made a ruling. Since the law is clear, I call upon the parliament to declare the proceedings of the last sitting of parliament null and void because the deliberations included illegal members.

Democracy was won in 1994 for the benefit of all Malawians. It seems, however, that a few elites misunderstand it to mean that it can be applied selectively or at will.Simwaka
Democracy was won in 1994 for the benefit of all Malawians. It seems, however, that a few elites misunderstand it to mean that it can be applied selectively or at will. It shouldn’t be that way. Let us not create another dictator. Let’s uphold the rule of law and let democracy grow.
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.