Mpasu says Malawi parties need to be institutionalised

Former Speaker of the National Assembly Sam Mpasu has said Malawi parties need to be institutionalised if democracy is to be consolidated in the country.

Mpasu: Dynasties destroying democracy
Mpasu: Dynasties destroying democracy

Mpasu decried in an interview on Daybreak Malawi programme on Capital FM on Monday that political parties in the country are mostly personalised by the leader or founder syndrome.

“We should institutionalise our political parties,” said Mpasu.

He said the trend in Malawi so far is that party founders are only interested to handover leadership mantle to “a brother or a son”.

Apparently, he was referring to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which is led by President Peter Mutharika and he inherited it from his brother, late Bingu wa Mutharika while United Democratic Front (UDF) of former president Bakili Muluzi is led by Minister of Home Affairs, Atupele Muluzi.

Aford of pro-democracy hero Chakufwa Chihana is now being led by his son Enoch Chihana, MP.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is led by Lazarous Chakwera who took over leadership from John Tembo after his retirement. It was a transfer of leadership without connection to relationship.

Mpasu said parties in Malawi are run like “dynasties”.

He said institutionalisation is positively correlated with the consolidation of democracy and good for stability of interparty competition citing Frelimo of Mozambique and Tanzania where parties have a large bureaucracy, extensive branch network and influential mid-ranking leaders which has seen successful succession plan of leaders.

Mpasu said personalised parties are likely to have gross abuses of power and destabilising succession battles.

“That’s why people leave presidency as billionaires,” said Mpasu in apparent reference to cashgate corruption scandal that leaders in the country are endemic to.

He also argued that some of current problems in Malawi are due to the lack of ideology in the parties.

Commenting on Daybreak Malawi programme, politician –cum-analyst Humphrey Mvula bemoaned that politics in Malawi is no longer about serving the people but self-enrichment.

He observed that Malawian parties are “issue pushers” and by that unsystematic.

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tsetsefly
tsetsefly
8 years ago

DPP, UDF, AFORD and other briefcase parties are simply stupid groupings supporting family idiots.

BONFACE
BONFACE
8 years ago

KONA TILUFUNA MCP KOMWE KULI DEMOCRACY YENI YENI

OSATI ZINAZI !!

Vwapuvwapu
Vwapuvwapu
8 years ago

Nanu mwalira choncho.

Bratusha
Bratusha
8 years ago

Anybody who values walking the talk want take the likes of Mpasu seriously. These are the people who were tried and tested in Malawi politics and failed. Malawi is in this mess because of the likes of Mpasu who sow seeds of corruption in Malawi . Bola aziyankhula osati inu a Fieldyork scam

Peter Mathanyux
Peter Mathanyux
8 years ago

Muluzi and sons Limited (UDF)
Mutharika Brothers Incorporated (DPP)
Chihana Family Estates (Aford)

Analisti wamkulu
Analisti wamkulu
8 years ago

Pokhapa bwana Mpasu mwayankhula za nzeru.Malawi will never get anywhere with these dynasties.Who said that the Mutharikas and Muluzi are the only intelligent family to lead Malawi?Bingu made sure to manipulate the system so that his incompetent brother should inherit the mantle,unfortunately nature took charge and we ended having an accidental woman by the name of Mtila Banda.Muluzi senior has also made sure that his clean shaven son Atupele should lead Malawi but the gods have not been with him.His son has proved to be incompetent in every ministry he has been heading.These dynasties have proved to be useless for… Read more »

Clement Chiwoko
Clement Chiwoko
8 years ago

This is the only true analysis of Malawi Politics I have from a politician or from anyone. I still believe Malawi Politics is like politics of children on a play ground wanting to go on a ride without thinking of others.

Keen Observer
8 years ago

I agree totally.

Wayawaya
Wayawaya
8 years ago

Zoonadi Zipani Za Kumalawi zili ndi eni ake. Atamwalira Bingu yemwe anayenera kukhala president wa DPP anali a Goodwell Gondwe koma zinasintha ndikusankha a Peter.

Limbani Maxwell Teputepu
Limbani Maxwell Teputepu
8 years ago

Yaaa Neh..Malawi is a play ground for Politicians whose objective is to milk Malawi. Most Malawian political leaders are there to gamble the poor Malawian citizen.

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