Chakwera says won’t do Mutharika style on VP persecution
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Presidential candidate Dr Lazarus Chakwera has said he will not do what the DPP regime did under late president Bingu WA Mutharika to sideline and isolate his vice-president.
Chakwera addressing a campaign rally in Mzuzu on Sunday said he will not victimise his vice president Richard Msowoya once voted in power on May 20.
President Mutharika in his first take persecuted his vice president Dr Cassim Chilumpha and charged him with treason a case which has stalled.
In his second term, President Mutharika side-lined and isolated his vice-president, Joyce Banda. He expelled her from the party in 2010 because she refused to accept the nomination of Peter Mutharika to inherit power. She remained vice-president of the country and later on ascended to the top job following the death of Bingu in April 2012.
Chakwera noted that vice presidents have been rendered redundant in a multiparty democracy, promising to change that.
“Some have had trumped up charges of treason and other crimes heaped on them. This is because parties lack intra party democracy in the way they chose a running mate. As MCP we believe that democracy must start within parties,” Chakwera said.
He also said the MCP government would also push electoral law reform to ensure that a majority of 50 per cent votes presidents into office unlike the current system of first past the post where a winner can be declared with a simple majority.
“We are envisioning systems whereby for one to qualify for the high office he or she must amass 50 per cent of the votes in each region. We are tired of minority leadership, which the current system has entrenched because it makes one region of the country a factory for presidents,”Chakwera said.
Chakwera condemned the culture of hand-outs, saying no country in the world has ever developed through freebies.
“Malawians need to be empowered to get things for themselves. We are tired of hearing that Malawi is doing fine. That is on paper because the reality is that we have myriad problems. No jobs, our business environment not conducive and our education system is on the verge of collapse,” he said.
Chakwera said it is embarrassing that after 50 years of independence Malawi is still ranked among the poor of the poorest countries in the world.
“It’s actually embarrassing. Let us start to change that on May 20. MCP will pursue a policy of holistic development for Malawi. We are speaking of one Malawi, one nation and one vision,” he said.
He then urged Malawians to vote MCP on May 20 saying failure to do so will be like condemning ourselves to another five years of misery.
“We need a better Malawi for all. Currently, we are failing to manage Malawi in all sectors from Mining to Agriculture. It is unheard of for a president to negotiate contracts with investors. MCP will have an open and transparent government because we will enact the Access to Information law,” Dr Chakwera said.
He said there is need for a new Malawi and that can come after voting for Chakwera.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :