Mutharika spokesman says Malawi President ‘will not resign’ despite calls from CSOs

President Peter Mutharika’s spokesman Gerald Viola has said the Malawi leader ‘will not resign’ despite calls from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), activists and human rights defenders.

Malawi President Mutharika refuses calls to resign
Malawi President Mutharika refuses calls to resign

Viola said Mutharika is determined to remain in power until he finishes his term when elections will be held and he will contest for re-election and rejects CSO’s demand for his immediate departure at State House.

He said Mutharika will not resign and counter attacked the CSO’s, saying they are inciting regime change.

Viola said the CSO’s should form a political party to contest for election in 2019 than being in civil society.

“He [Mutharika] was mandated and elected by majority of Malawians (36 percent) during 2014 elections. If they are calling for resignation of the President, who do they think will take over? Timothy Mtambo?” queried Viola.

Viola said CSO’s claim that public trust has been eroded on Mutharika leadership is but a figment of imagination.

He rubbished the activist and human rights defenders saying they have no mandate from the people of Malawi.

“They are not representing Malawi. They are representing themselves and those that sponsor them,” the Presidential Press Secretary said.

Viola said if the CSO’s are representing Malawians, they should wait for the citizen to speak with their ballots in 2019 elections whether they want Mutharika out of power or not.

In a media statement, CSOs cited high cost of living and ailing economy, dwindling service delivery peppered with empty talk on Public Service reform as some of the indicators not reflecting well on Mutharika and therefore called on the President to take charge or resign if he feels he is not up to the task.

Among other recommendations, the CSOs have urged Mutharika to reduce local as well as international travels and revise the Decent and Affordable Housing Subsidy Programme budget and adjust downward the newly introduced fees in schools.

They have also urged Mutharika to respect and protect media freedom, by among others, signing the much-awaited Table Mountain Declaration, and fully supporting the enactment of the Access to Information Bill (ATI).

“To take quick measures to employ all health workers and teacher graduates to ease service delivery in the health and education sectors; address the drug shortage; depoliticize the public sector reforms by supporting it with necessary legal regime in order to ensure continuity; ensure that Public service reforms are periodically scrutinized by Parliament to improve the program delivery and ensure that reforms reflect the views and wishes of Malawians,” appeals the CSO’s.

The CSOs include Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Human Rights Defenders Forum, Centre for the Development of People (Cedep), Civil and Political Space Platform as well as human rights activists Martha Kwataine and Billy Mayaya.

Others are Charles Kajoloweka of Youth and Governance Activist, Robert Mkwezalamba of Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), Moses Mkandawire of Civic and Political Space, Kiko Mapunda of Centre for Governance and Public Participation, Benedicto Kondowe of Human Rights Defenders Forum, Bright Kampaundi of Forum for National Development, Desmond Mhango of CEYCA, and Macdonald Sembereka of MANERELA .

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paul mwale
paul mwale
8 years ago

Mutharika must finish his term.

vumbwe
8 years ago

Atumbuka kodi mudzalamulako liti dziko la Malawi? Kwanu ndikuphathikila zipani za anzanu basi AFORD idakunyerani. Noise yonse imene mumapanga imakupindulirani chiani? Pangani chanuchanu chipani osaphathikila kwa anthu a pa central ndi south tione kuti ngakhale nonse mutavoterana atumbuka nokha nokha ngati mungawine. Kwanu ndikukhuwakhuwa komweku basi palibe wakumwera kapena wapakati angathandizire kuvotera mtumbuka koma atumbukanu mumathandizira ma southerners ndi apakati kutiwinitsa basi. Mumayesetsa kuchita mitala kuti muswane, ayi ndithu, mukuchepela kaba. Kaya ndife osaphunzira, koma timakulamuliranibe. Mapulezident are from south and centre , not dead north.

JAPHET KAIRA
JAPHET KAIRA
8 years ago

All the presidents we hav had in malawi are good but only the bad pple are the subodnates sarounding the president.The bad pple like H Mussa,G Chaponda,kaliat etc these are the ones who makes president go astray.who ever will come will not b safe at all,lets just call the whites to rule over us again,we r going to die plz!

H Kamdidi
H Kamdidi
8 years ago

Ofcourse he cannot resign otherwise azikadya chani?

Aubrey Norman
Aubrey Norman
8 years ago

Amabungwe muzitenge bwino mungamanene kuti president achepetse kuyenda yenda?mwati akuwononga ndalama za Boma?kodi nanga otsutsa omwe akuyenda yendawa ndalama zawo amazitenga kuti?mukutiwuza kuti otsutsa ndiwomwe alindi ndalama zocholuka zochititsira misonkhano kusiyana ndi DPP?Mukamayankhula muziganiza kaye zomwe mukuyankhulazo popewa kudzetsa mpongwepungwe.Njala sinabwere chifukwa cha Peter koma chifuniro cha mwini zolengedwa.

mtumbuka selfish dog
mtumbuka selfish dog
8 years ago

Atumbuka amzanga matako anu

Jose'
Jose'
8 years ago

Nsanje si umuna. Mwamva a useless mtambo?

mwachaje
mwachaje
8 years ago

3 THINGS 1 OKUFA SADZIWIKA, MULUNGU SI NZATHU AYI. ANADZIWA NDANI KUTI MNYAMATA NYONDO ANGAPITE KUSIYA WAMKULU PETER 2 FIRST PAST THE POST, NDIMMENE TIMASANKHILA PULEZIDENTI KUMALAWI. AKATI FIRST PAST THE POST NDIYE KUTI AMENE WATSOGOLA NDIYE AMENE WAWINA. KOTERO KUTI APITALA ngakhale AKADATSOGOLA NDI MUNTHU MMODZI YEKHA, AKANAWINA BASI.NDIYE tizindikile kuti kusiyana KWA 36% ndi 27% ndi 9% imeneinali anthu opitilira 400,000. 3 KWA IFE OKHULUPILILA, ZIKACHITIKA MONGA ZINACHITIKA MAY 2014, TIYENERA KUFUNAFUNA NKHOPE YA YEHOVA NDI KUMUPEMPHA KUTI ATIZINDIKILITSE CHIFUNIRO CHAKE Pa MOYO WATHU. TIZINDIKILE KUTI MULUNGU ANALI ndipo ALI NDI KUTHEKERA KONSE KUTI TIPAMBANE, KOMANSO YEHOVA ndi… Read more »

kaya
kaya
8 years ago

CSOs can you provide monetary support to Malawi for the Government to fulfill all the demands you are putting across. By the way which CSOs are these? Can you identify yourself because some of the CSOs are equally surprised and shocked with your demands. Leave the President alone!!!

wika
wika
8 years ago

A viola mumangafuse kuti kodi peter akapanga resigh atenge mpando ndani? olo mwana wa std 5 atha kukuyankhani funso lopusalo. kodi malamula adzikolino suwadziwa? Mwachidule tingoti kayambeninso sukulu[primary}

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