Kamlepo calls for constitutional review conference
Outspoken leader of Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) leader has urged President Joyce Banda to call for an emergency constitutional review conference to iron out what he described as ‘silent anomalies’ that are posing serious threat to the country’s democracy.
He cited as examples of scenarios of how the ruling People’s Party and its predecessor Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rose to power without an election.
“This is the best time for the President to iron out this constitutional crisis by calling for a constitutional review to discuss such scenarios because if we’re not careful we will be having parties that never had blessings of electorates becoming ruling parties, then what is the rationale of going to polls if I know that the President can ditch his party and form another?”queried Kamlepo.
He therefore called for harmonization of the constitution so that it no longer remains silent on very serious issues.
Kamlepo recounts how he was booed at Kwacha conference centre in February 1994, during a constitutional review conference, when he raised the point but said it was shot down before it was even being discussed.
“In 1994 I raised the issue to say what will happen in an event that the president ditches the party that sponsored him to join another? The delegates booed me saying that can never happen because they were looking at individuals for instance Kamuzu, Muluzi and Chihana . Ten years later I was proved right when Bingu ditched UDF.
“Right now I could also foresee a scenario where you shall have a president marrying his or her Vice what will happen in that regard? or what will stop an attractive young man like Atupele [Muluzi] if he becomes president one day to marry his vice president?
“Imagine if our president divorces her husband and decides to marry the vice president, it might sound as if I’m being rude but am just thinking aloud. There will be chaos because our constitution is silent hence the need to root out the silence in the constitution so that it clearly clarifies some sensitive issues, otherwise the compromise we are tolerating is slowly killing principles of democracy,” added Kalua.
Asked on whether he regards himself as one of the presidential aspirants for 2014, Kalua simply answered: “God willing yes I will stand as presidential candidate.”
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