Chinsinga backs Chakwera remarks calling Mutharika failed leader: ‘No need for opposiiton leader to apologize’

University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College political scientist BlessingsChinsinga has said there is no need for opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera to apologise or resign for saying  President Peter Mutharika has “completely failed to run the nation”.

Chakwera said the southern African country’s socio-economic ills were as a result of Mutharika’s failure and descfribed his M leadership as one which is like a pair of scissors designed to cut the thread by which the country is hanging and send the citizens spiraling into the abyss of deeper levels of poverty..

The MCP president who is also leader of opposition in parliament cited incessant blackouts and the increasing cost of living as signs that the Mutharika and his administration had failed.

But ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held a news conference where the party gurus dressed down Chakwera, describing him as lacking integrity and obsessed with delusions of political self righteousness.

DPP publicity secretary Francis Kasaila, acting secretary general Francis Mphepo and presidential aide Hetherwick Ntaba in chorus called for Chakwera to resign from the position of leader of Opposition in Parliament and apologise over his remarks suggesting that President Mutharika and DPP had failed.

Apart from DPP attack on Chakwera, government has also been mobilising traditional leaders  to be appearing on tax-funded television MBC castigating castigating the opposition leader.

But Chinsinga said there is no need for Chakwera to apologize or retract the statement because as opposition leader  he has such constitutional mandate to keep government in check.

“Chakwera as leader of opposition has a constitutional duty to keep government in checking and I don’t think there is need for him to apologize following that speech and further to that Chakwera was  talking about government policies and nothing personal,” Chinsinga told Nyasa Times.

Chinsinga said Malawi is a democratic state and of  freedom of speech is enshrined in the Republican constitution..

In his scatching attack to Mutharika , the leader of opposition said: “I have a simple message for President Mutharika: Your Excellency, you have failed. You have failed the civil service because you have failed to lead. You have failed the taxpayers because you have failed to end the corruption of your own government.

“You have failed the young people because you have failed to keep the doors of our universities open… You have failed the Vice President because you have failed to maximise the young man’s talents for progress,” Chakwera said.

According to Chakwera, allowing Mutharika to continue leading the country beyond this term will be hammering the final nail in the coffin of Malawi’s development.

Chakwera  has since said Malawians were the best judges on what he said and the tantrums of DPP and government spokespersons.