Malawi needs a reset button, 2019 polls ‘life time chance’ for change – Chakwera

Leader of opposition and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate for May 2019 Tripartite Election, Lazarus Chakwera  plans to launch his political mission to win the race to State House by inviting Malawians to an engagement to come up with his party’s pact with the electorate.

Chakwera said the engagement will culminate in conversations, dialogue and debates that will collectively help MCP weave together the broader and finer details of a Malawi that its citizens desire that works for all.

“We cannot afford to go on like this as a nation especially after more than 50 years of independence. We are running out of time; we have to change the way we govern ourselves, and we have to change now,” said Chakwera.

He said the elections on May 21 2019 are the “golden opportunity” for Malawians  to collectively effect the changes that will enable the nation carve out concrete and viable pathways to a Malawi that works for all not a priviledged few.

“As the leader of MCP, I am very much troubled when I see our neighbours making tremendous progress yet we are just as competitive as they are, and even better endowed in some of the key areas that drive fundamental structural transformation and sustainable inclusive development.

“There is no question about it; we can do it only if we are determined, working together with a shared sense of public interest supported by capable, visionary and pragmatic leadership, which the MCP is prepared and ready to offer in order to transform Malawi into a hub of progress, development and prosperity for all. This is our solemn commitment,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera said he will be travelling across the country urging people to bring change, saying Malawi need a reset, life is getting too hard for too many people

“Let  us hit the reset button and power ourselves out of our current development quagmire,” he said,

The MCP president said his party  want to engage with, and listen to private sector and businesses, organized labour, civil society, media, women, youth, students, traditional leaders, religious leaders, farmers, farmers’ organizations, think tanks and all other minorities.

“ Let us grab this as our life time chance to work together to design and develop a Malawi that works for us all irrespective of our standing in society. We can, and we will do it,” said Chakwera.

The opposition leader said through the public engagement, he will be sharing with the electorate the concrete policy positions that an MCP led government will adopt in order to create the Malawi people want in the shortest time possible.

“This is why we are very much looking forward to your feedback to stimulate and enrich conversations, dialogue and debates that will provide useful inputs into our concerted efforts to develop an appropriate mix of policies, and the strategic blueprint, which will catalyze the realization of a Malawi that works for us all,” he enthused.

Chakwera said he will kick off the  engagement with an overall philosophical framework that will guide the MCP’s government and governance enterprise.

“Let me point out that we have thought about this carefully and systematically, and we strongly feel we can carve out a better Malawi, a Malawi that works for us all on the wings of a capable democratic developmental state.

“With my team, we have carried out a thorough diagnosis of the challenges holding back Malawi from realizing its potential, and our vision is that we have to build a capable democratic developmental state as a vehicle for Malawi’s fundamental structural transformation and sustainable inclusive development. This is not simply an option; it is a must, and the MCP under my leadership, is all geared up and ready to take on this onerous but noble task that will see Malawi’s fortunes turnaround in the shortest time possible,” said Chakwera.

Political observers say Chakwera must show those sceptical about his leadership that he has the ability and the ideas to win an election, and enable MCP to regain the support of  Malawians after it was ejected from power when it ruled for 31 years of one-party dictatorship.

Chakwera was perceived as main  challenger of the incumbent, Peter Mutharika, who is embroiled in a corruption scandal.

But the coming in of Malawi’s Vice-President Saulosi Klaus Chilima after he dumped q the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) citing unchecked corruption and nepotism,  throwing his hat into the ring for the 2019 presidential elections on his United Transformation Movement (UTM) has changed the political landscape.

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