CSOs want Public Reform scrutiny by Malawi Parliament

Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) say proposed solutions by the Public Service Reform Commission must first be approved by National Assembly before implementation.

Mkandawire: Let CSO's meet  my commitee
Mkandawire: Let CSO’s meet my commitee

Timothy Mtambo Executive Director for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), said reforms being pursued by President Peter Mutharika administration are not inspiring because they are not aligned with the national vision.

He therefore urged government to ensure that all proposed reforms are periodically scrutinised by Parliament to improve the program delivery and ensure that reforms reflect the views and wishes of Malawians.

While appealing for depoliticisation of the Public Service Reforms by supporting it with necessary legal regime in order to ensure scrutiny, he said National Assembly is right institution that must be allowed to play its rightful oversight function to the reforms.

“I can assure Malawians that those reforms are not supposed to be implemented without an authorization of parliament. We are represented by parliament so, any kind of reforms should be scrutinized by the parliament, who are the representatives of the people of this country,” suggested Mtambo

Mtambo has said at the moment “the reform program is just a program which is empty and has no legal basis”.

He also warned that by letting everything been done by few individuals to head the reforms then the country might end up with “deforms” instead of “reforms”

“These reforms are being taken as a law itself. There are changes in the name of reforms; cancelation of JCE exams, the hiking of school fees in secondary schools and colleges. People just woke up in the morning in the name of reforms and change things,” he observed

Mtambo also underlined that the program would have done better to Malawians if the reforms had began first in the presidency office and then trickle down to juniors.

“We have always said that the reforms were supposed to start from the presidency” he said “The head is not reformed, we have a lot of power in the office of the president and that is why corruption continues in this country. So how do you expect the juniors to transform?”

However, speaking in an interview, Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances, Harry Mkandawire said their committee has already been requested by Vice President Office to work together with the Public Service Reform Commission in question.

“The Good part is that the office of the Vice President has requested my committee to work with the Public Reforms Commission. Now the area you are talking about, we are yet to agree,” confirmed Mkandawire.

When asked when did his committee received such a request, Mkandawire replied “We were asked long time ago during the last meeting of parliament.”

But since the committee’s relationship with the Commission has just started and they are yet to agree as to the terms of reference of how they are going to work together, he therefore admitted that his committee was not part of reforms being implemented at the moment.

Mkandawire has also asked the CSO’s to meet his Committee to discuss on how the committee should work with the Commission.

“This is what CSO’s would want to see, I therefore urge the CSO’s to come to us, to let us know what our relationship with the Reform Commission should be. And if they have an idea, they can sell it to us so that in turn we would be saying; look, people out there they want this, because CSOs are also the representatives of the people”

Mkandawire has since congratulated the office of the Vice President for seeing it fit that their committee should be a bridge between the commission and parliament.

In 2014, Malawi Government under leadership of President Peter Mutharika instituted Public Service Reform Commission being chaired by his Vice President Saulos Chilima.

The commission was instituted to facilitate the creation of an effective and efficient Public Service that will spur economic growth through the nurturing of a market economy that is foreign direct investor friendly as well as one that will facilitate long term investments in the health, education and other social programmes.

Since, the commission has made several recommendations which president has approved and have been implemented.

However, on Wednesday, CSO’s claimed that the success of the reforms are just on paper and called for resignation of Mutharika over poor democratic and economic governance.

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KK
KK
8 years ago

M’dala uyu kungomuwona akuwoneka wa sakho kwambili. Sorry its just my opinion.

Dausi Phiri
Dausi Phiri
8 years ago

A birds eyes view on ones facts is very important.Mtambo pa ichi chokha akunena zoona.

mhango
mhango
8 years ago

An mtambo it seems y hv issues wt muntharika,, parliament was concerted through the commite of govmnt assurance n public reforms,, what a u talking about, dnt confuse pipo wamva ntambo,, please gv the president a space to work,, AMalawi Ena bwanji nsanje,, kulinjalatu mmidzimu nde tusacgedwe nzumenezo.. Wamva ntambo bda bzako a pp n mcp,, jst register ur party… Fotseck..

levelheaded
8 years ago

Mtambo, how can something that was in the party manifesto be subject to parliament scrutiny? Civil service reform was in the DPP manifesto and it was approved when people voted for that party. Taking it to parliament is like asking people the same thing which they already approved since members of parliament represent the same people who approved these reforms by voting DPP government into power. Mtambo are you telling this country that party manifesto contents should be debated in parliament once the party is in power? Muzitengera pamgong’otu a mtambo kenaka zikuwonekerani.

Truth shall prevail
Truth shall prevail
8 years ago

Well said Mr mtambo. The reforms should not be left in the hands of a few individuals and people should be consulted through their MPs. This is a national thing not a DPP manifesto.

MULOPWANA
MULOPWANA
8 years ago

Amalawi sitidzatukuka ndipo ndife anthu omvetsa chisoni chifukwa sitimavetsatsa chimene akutanthauza munthu, zinthu zothandiza ife ngati dziko inu kulowetsa, mtambo sakunama there is a need for parliament to intervene if we r have better reforms for every citizen of country

MLOMWE
MLOMWE
8 years ago

NA PAMENE TILIPA TIVOMEREZE BOMA LATIKANIKA TIWASIYIRE ENA ALAMULIRE

Malawi
Malawi
8 years ago

Looking from the comments, one tend to wonder whether their is objectivity in our comments. We seem to personalize everything even if someone provides facts. Malawi will only develop when we remove our tribal lines and we become to look at factual issues rather than personalities and tribal lines. I rest my case.

ndili frank
ndili frank
8 years ago

Mtambo is just stating facts. Be factual and not childish when commenting on issues of national importance. Proper procedures must be followed. Government /civil service functions within the confines of the law. It is only parliament that makes the laws of the land. Therefore, the reforms must be scrruitinised by people’s reprezentatives in parliMent. The reforms are for people’s goverment not for a ruling. DPP.

chitsa boys
chitsa boys
8 years ago

Amalawi ambili ndi mbuli zophunzira chifukwa cha dyera amabungwe palibe chimene mukuchita malo mothandiza osauka mukufuna kuyambisa chisokonezo anakuzani ndani kuti boma amachotsa ndi mademo? Amabungwe samalani anthu osauka osati akabwila kodi malamulo amati chiyani posankha pulezidenti sitiza lola pulezidenti wa madulira ngati jb

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