Feb 3 Electoral Justice Day: HRDC says Malawians have lost hope in Chakwera administration  

Malawi is today February 3 remembering this day one year after the  High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court judgement nullified the May 21 2019 Presidential Election and ordered a fresh election which Tonse  Alliance won but Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has  said the administration led by President Lazarus Chakwera is now hopeless.

Trapence, whose coalition championed change and  led a series of street demonstrations against the 2019 presidential election which at times were violent, said  the Chakwera administration had the greatest support and will of Malawians because citizens wanted to see a new  and better Malawi for all.

He said while the struggle for electoral justice was meant to create a better Malawi for all but it is turning out that things are moving in circles and it is a better Malawi for a selected elite few.

HRDC head said Chakwera government is not delivering to the expectation of the citizenry.

“Malawians have completely lost hope in this Tonse government because of the broken promises,” said Trapence, stressing “this is the reality on the ground whether you like it or not.”

Trapence pointed out that most Malawians, including Tonse Alliance political party partners and followers, are “frustrated” with  what he called the “slowness and lack of clear direction “of Chakwera government.

HRDC which is running a corruption whistle-blower initiative has also observed that corruption which was rampant in the previous administration continues to be embraced by Tonse Alliance government frontline troops and called on Chakwera not to be sleeping on the job.

Said Trapence: “Malawians hopes and expectations are doomed if things will remain the same. We need the President to be in control of the country’s affairs.

“We need him to be action-oriented. This is the right time to release the [President’s] Cabinet assessment to Malawians. This is the right time to manage those individuals who think they are more powerful than the President.”

Minister of Information Gospel Kazako, who is the official government spokesperson, has defended the Chakwera administration and parried away criticism from HRDC, saying  speed advocated by HRDC is the one that saw Malawi becoming almost a lawless State with no respect of systems, values and ethics.