State House cautiously welcomes proposals to have 50+1 electoral system
President Peter Mutharika will keep his views secret on the proposed 50+1 electoral system, a system that would allow a general election candidate to become President only if and when he amasses more than 51 per cent of the votes cast.
Mabvuto Bamusi, Mutharika’s advisor on civil society groups and non-governmental organisations said this on Friday.
“It is up to Malawians to decide what system they want. But whatever system, it should be for uniting people. The civil society leaders should consult Malawians at grass root, this should not come from few political or civil society leaders for their own political expediency,” Bamusi said.
He said President Mutharika would not give his views on he matter although he would want the result to reflect the will of the people.
“If people want it, His Excellency is ready to listen,” said Bamusi, who said people should be demanding a robust constitutional review process.
He said the same happened during debate on federalism, saying Mutharika chose not to have his views known.
“He said let people and people have spoken,” Bamusi said.
Mutharika got 36 percent of the vote during the 2014 general election, votes he amassed mainly from the southern region prompting some opposition politicians and civil society leaders to insinuate the President received the mandate to rule the country from one tribe.
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A MCP ngati munalephera kumwera konse kuno mungazaipeze 50%? Minga imene mukudzala idzakubayani nokha,sitingabwelerenso ku nkhanza zanu ayi UDF,DPP tidzapanga mgwirizano simudzadutsa.
50+1 is not the way to go my friends. If a Presidential candidate polls less than 50% then make that person share government with other candidate in a coalition government. Why go to the expense of a run off? If you remove candidates and leave just 2 to run off there’ll be a winner of course and it will be a winner takes all scenario. This is not good as the others who originally voted for other candidates are having their votes rejected. Make these politicians compromise and work together rather than one person having all the power. Coalition governments… Read more »
M.Bamusi ur at it again.
Federalsm survey was fake uncredible and sats nothing about demographics,a reverand chingota bodzatu ili abusa. So ur president listens to church sermons on radio,kodi mulibe chapel or prayer room kunyumbako..ooohh!
munya muona a lomwe odya nalikukuti inu
We need a referendum on THIS. It is not whether Peter agrees or not, we are not workers on his farm.
Whether changing the format never affect DPP. We are all over the regions voting for the blues. Mcp failed to get even single member of parliament from south while dpp got in central and north. The next elections will be landslide for DPP to silence these power hungry people. Do you think you can defeat DPP? You’re sick people.
Ndondomekoyi ndi yabwino chifukwa anthu amasankhadi mtsogoleri ndi mavoti ambiri. Osati munthu kungopeza mavoti pakati pa a lomwe azi basi ameneyo wa wina. Za ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You idiots. To have a 50 plus I vote means only two candidates are competing. Normally the countries that do that have reruns for the top two. Ndiye masanje timapanga nd I zisankho zathu tingapange rerun? We have greedy people who would go to court to get an injunction to be involved in the rerun and stupid judges who will grant such allowances for a penny. The simplest way is let the majority rule. Since most of us are illiterate fools we shall vote for our kind.
Bamusi is talking as if the federalism results recently announced carry credibility. The only way Malawians can decide on 50+1 and federalism is by referendum, not csos or ccjp carrying out secret surveys which most Malawians were not even aware of that a survey is being done by pac or ccjp on federalism. The survey for example on federalism should have been announced in advance so that everyone knew what was going on and nationwide samples conducted including the question people were being asked to answer. That would have carried some credibility. By the way I am against federalism but… Read more »
Our present system does not respect the principle of majority in democratic rule. Some one who wins even with 40% of the country’s population still poses a challenge of legitimacy. We have to remember that Malawi is not an isolated country, we can justifiably refer to how other countries do.Ghana..Burkina-faso, IVory coast.. Just to mention but a few. The president must have at least 50 +1