Federal system of government bill faces uncertainty – Chihana
Mzimba North legislator Yeremia Chihana (Alliance for Democracy-Aford) says he is facing huddles to retable a a federalism motion in parliament.
The re-tabling motion appears uncertain as it remains unclear when the matter would be revisited.
Chihana, the lone Aford legislator, said he wrote the Business Committee of Parliament of his intention to re-table the motion which was prolongated during the 48th session of the Parliament.
But Leader of the House, Richard Chimwendo Banda, said the Speaker’s Office was better placed to comment on the matter while the Speaker, Catherine Gotani Hara, said her office has yet to receive a request on the motion.
Chihana argues in the motion that in the interest of equitable distribution of resources and development in Malawi, and as a solution to the challenges brought about by quota system in the Education Sector, coupled with the elasticity of Malawi politics, and to ensure equal participation in political decisions, the country needs to change its system of government.
He argued that there is evidence that national resources are not distributed equally.
The motion was defeated in 2018. It had been brought on the floor by Rumphi East MP, Kamlepo Kalua who only got support from Malawi Congress Party (MCP) – in opposition then.
Some politicians in the north wants a federal system, saying the present system of governance disadvantages the northern region in terms of development.
The issue has been divisive and has generated a lot of debate as other quarters of society feel Malawi is too small to be ruled through federal system.
The country has never been ruled by a President from the northern region since attaining independence despite the oldest party MCP was founded by late Orton Chirwa from the north.
In 2006, former president Peter Mutharika, then a professor of international law at Washington University School of Law in the United States of America, proposed federalism as a solution to address the issue of national unity.
In his paper presented at the National Constitutional Review Conference in Lilongwe held from March 28 to 31 2006 titled Towards a More Manageable Constitution, he observed that Nigeria successfully resolved problems that were created by its three regions at independence in 1960 by establishing what are now 36 states and one federal territory.
However, in August 2014, three months after becoming President, Mutharika urged political and religious leaders against calls for federalism, arguing it would divide the country.
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It goes round and round. We welcomed Hastings Banda to break a federation and a couple of decades down the line we now seem to desire some federation. A task of man on Earth. Vanity
Nzeru zonunkha, za utumbuka
Federal system kuti iyende bwino aliyense azigwira ntchito chigawo cha kwawo,ndiye kuti chitukuko chiziyenda bwino
The Federal system motion that Chihana wants to retable in Parliament is very unpopular. It can only be liked if it can State that aliyense kwawo nkwawo so that they develop their federal state. A Tumbuka kwawo in that case Malawians would have liked the motion. Imagine how many Tumbuka are in judiciary. What about at capital hill. And the end result of federal system is secede
Judiciary will not change.Federalism does not mean tribes should be restricted in their regions.It means regions will have regional decision making nothing to do with tribes.
Federal Government will not change,there will just be the addition of state administration.
The best way to federate Malawi is to turn every district into a state,so we will have 28 states.