Malawi ‘federal system’ demo Friday

A Mzuzu-based forum championing for the adoption of a federal system of government in the country have announced they will take to the streets Friday to express their “discontentment” with the sluggishness government is acting in dealing with the issue of federalism.

Forum for Federal System in Malawi secretary general Harris Kanyeremuka said demo seeks “to ignite speed on part of government in dealing with the issue.”

Kanyeremuka accused government of playing “hide and seek.”

He said they had “sent” several petitions to the President calling for serious attention to the matter to no avail.

“Government has not responded to any of our petitions,” he said.

President Peter Mutharika mandated the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the issue before a decision could be made.

There has been shoddy progress so far.

Kanyeremuka warned their forum would “hold national vigils” shouldn’t there be nothing after the demonstrations.

There have been strong discontent of the system from government authorities who feel that the proponents of the system wants to derail government operations.

Malawians are calling Mutharika to introduce Federal System of government to ensure equitable distribution of development resources .  For 20 years now the country has been pursuing a unitary system which critics say, has seen disparities in distribution of the national development.

Initially, the calls for government to adopt federalism started with few individuals from the country’s northern region in 2011, following a public outcry that the then president, late Bingu Wa Mutharika, brother to the current president, Peter, was oppressing the region in terms of development.

For instance, Mutharika imposed a quota system policy of selecting students to public colleges; rather, than on merit, after he noted that most learners from the north were dominating public universities through the Ministry of Education’s merit selection system.

Several quarters also accuse the incumbent President of supporting regionalism and nepotism by promoting people from his region and particularly his Lomwe tribe in public offices such as cabinet ministers, chief executives for parastatal institutions and other government departments.

Christopher Mzomera Ngwira, one of the vocal MPs from the north, who was backing federalism has been muted on the matter as of late , reportedly after meeting President Mutharika.