CHHR says Mutharika should not ‘run away’ from principle of accountability

The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has said President Peter Mutharika should uphold principle of accountability and stop the dislikes of any ultimatums.

Mutharika admittedly takes no ultimatums. He recently told off campaigners for the long neglected Access to Information Bill in Parliament: “If you give me deadlines, you are wasting time.”

During the recent dialogue meeting with Public Affairs Committee (PAC) the President condemned any attempt aimed at giving him deadlines.

CHRR executive director Timothy Mtambo told Nyasa Times that the organisation finds the conduct by  President Mutharika as  “unfortunate at its best, and undemocratic at its worst.”

Said Mtambo: “The conduct actually only betrays the President’s thick-skin to the principle of accountability, a key pillar of democracy.

“If the President does not take deadlines, what kind of message is he sending to the public sector and other sectors of the society where meeting and working towards deadlines is the order of the day to enhance effectiveness and efficiency?”

Mtambo added in a statement: “ The President is employed by the citizens and he reports to them. As such, it is very irregular and strange that the employee should be challenging the employer that he or she will not work on deadlines. Otherwise if someone is unable to comply to the deadlines set by the employer, the impression is that such a person has failed the job.

“The President must know that in a democracy the powers of elected leaders is delegated power by the citizens. Where we are talking about ruling on trust we can refer the HE to section 12 subsection 1,2, and 3 of the constitution.”

The vocal rights activist said  President  Mutharika should be the last citizen to take exception to issues bordering on accountability.

“ Informed by the fact that the President is governing on sustained trust from Malawians, the citizens have, therefore, every constitutional right to demand an action from their elected leader within a specific time frame.

“Section 12 of the Constitution of Malawi is very clear on that.  Should the President find the deadlines unrealistic—as he normally claims— let him clearly and publicly explain himself; rather telling the citizens off,” said Mtambo.

CHRR said the President should not “run away” from accountability by challenging citizens to stop issuing deadlines.

“There is no way Malawians will let their leader govern them as they please,” said Mtambo.

Among recommendations given to President Mutharika by PAC  includes the demand that Mutharika should resign within 90 days if it fails to solve the social and economic problems currently besetting the country.

In a PAC report directly addressing President Mutharika titled: ‘Defining solutions to economic and political direction of Malawi’,  the group has inserted the call for among the political governance recommendations of the conference.

“Government should resign in 30 or 90 days as it has admitted that it has failed Malawians and does not know what to do,” reads part of the report.

The PAC report also includes a proposal for introduction of rotational presidency to give each region a fair chance of the presidency, the turning of Zomba State House and Mudi in Lilongwe into health facilities to cut on unnecessary State House expenditures while expanding healthcare.