Malawi is ‘ripe for change’ says Chilima at Chatham House: I will implement dual-citizenship on ‘day one’ as President
Vice-President Saulos Chilima on Wednesday addressed the world-renowned think tank Chatham House in London and promised to implement dual citizenship “one day one” as President after the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Chilima, who is leading United Transformation Movement (UTM), after he ditched the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in June and will challenge President Peter Mutharika in the presidential polls, said Malawi is at a juncture for change.
In his speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House headquarters in prestigious St James’s Square, just a short walk from Buckingham Palace, Chilima themed his address: “How to generate political and public will to influence change in a complex democracy.”
He said those holding positions and their surrogates use every asset at their disposal to “blindfold, deceive and manipulate” the public especially in society like Malawi where illiteracy, poverty and destitution are high and citizens have limited analytical ability.
Chilima said the manipulations would include denying citizens access to information so they are less aware of what is happening; how much resources are available and what is being delivered.
“Manipulation further heightens to recruiting sympathisers including civil society organisations to speak in favour of the ruling elite and defend actions of the ruling elite even if such actions are harmful to economy and citizens,” he said.
But the Vice President said the movement for change will be unstoppable and that he stands ready to act beyond nepotism and cryonics.
“Nepotism has own beneficiaries, leadership incompetence has own beneficiaries and the beneficiaries numerically few as they may be would wield much economic power and afford to ‘hire’ mercenaries to speak in public media on their defence,” he said.
Chilima said there is growing evidence in Malawi that shows “citizenry fatigue” with status quo and “growing desperation for hope and change.”
He said the question is whether the larger part of the public is ready to prevail over tribal, nepotistic and regional considerations in favour of national considerations.
Chilima said since the launch of UTM for which he is the leader, the movement has established that the situation in Malawi is “ripe for change.”
He said the public is “ready to act beyond tribalism and regionalism.”
During his talk the issue of dual-citizenship was also tackled and Chilima told the audience that he will implement it “on day one” as the country’s President.
He said dual citizenship is something that is good in itself and for the effects it can have on a state.
Dual citizenship makes it possible for people with multi-national identities to retain those identities. It also makes it possible for such people to fulfil their obligations to the countries they are affiliated to.
Chilima wants to address lacunas in the current constitution that undermine democracy and democratic efforts when he takes power.
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Many of the suggestions or promises Chilima is making seem to be rhetorical: for example, how can he alone, as President, just make dual citizenship possible, just like that by waving a magic card on Day One. He is also preposterous, saying “when” and not “if” he gets the job. And he hasn’t even been interviewed yet.
His approach leads one to ask
– does Chilima really know his stuff – this is the stuff he should ace in an exam, as many of these are issues of which he was an understudy over the past FOUR years? And is he serious?
– was Chilima was under the influence (of alcohol, or some other drug) when he spoke so ignorantly and openly at this “seminar”?
– does he take most of us as “makape” – so as not to question even the bases of some of his comments?
– or did he take his mostly Azungu audience for ignorant neocolonialists, only interested in economic opportunism, considering that he was part of the same Government he now feverishly chastises?
– and finally, when is Chilima, or his surrogates, going to respond to the questions of sobriety swirling not only on the streets of our cities, but now, even in villages? He seems to really light up the stage when he has imbibed the social lubricant! No way to govern, or even run a serious political Party.
Perhaps these stories are true, and that is why nobody has disputed them: that spells trouble for UTM, as Malawians take personal reputation VERY, VERY seriously. And, perhaps unfairly, Malawians also seem to favor politicians with gravitas, not pretense and pomposity.
Awa kuzipopa basi.
Akuluwa ndi embryo(dzira) ya u dictator. Implementing dual citizenship on day one without both cabinet and parliamentary approval? Za u baby di izi. Munthuyu ndi mwana komanso mulukhu.
Koma these cadets are really fearful of Chilima, simunati.
Chilima why is it that you waited 3 years and some months to say that DPP top brass is corrupt. You knew from day one that Bingu, APM, DPP to brass were all corrupt. In fact you are as corrupt if not more because you, BB, with guidance from VJ from Zambia corrupted altered the electoral rolls to rig the elections. Its not at polling stations that DPP rigged the elections, no you and BB altered the electoral rolls.
we want change osati a register alibe nchito ameneyo the vice is big person here in Malawi can not be stopped with your tactics, amalawi tinapenya , a register akale choncho ameneo azikana ma paper kenako awalandila amenneo
ma cadet you have nothing to offer is a vice president and is doing it for Malawi a register alibe nchito mukuona ngati chilima awina chifukwa cha a register who is used by rulling party
This man is a not serious. As of now many parties are competing and each has confidence of winning, even those that have only the president and other members not known. What he should tell those who are listening not him that “ if” I win. He seems to be imposing himself of the seat of the president of the nation. He seems to forget that some issues has to go through parliament for it to debate and effect into being. How is he going to introduce the dual citizen on the first day? Stop dreaming in the foreign land my friend. You will enter into the wilderness soon running away from shame. Learn to you the word if because you don’t know if your gods will smile on you or will be angry with you.
My friend Napoleon Muza, ‘day one’ is not supposed to be taken literally. Did you have problems at school with English Literature or English Comprehension subjects, Sir? Your comments are a shame.
Also Chilima is not a man of IFs. Keep that word to yourself brither if you are a doubter. He sees himself in that seat. That’s FAITH.
Liphava, younare the one who don’t understand the statement day one.. What do you understand by day one, where you good at mathematics or Arithmetic.. Don’t be stupid thinking he can not use the word if. Remember this is a campaign period and every party has got its own agenda for the nation and they have confidence, but they will still say “ if voted into office” will do abc, not I will do this.nyes on day one he can make a decree after being sworn into office, hence you have to understand day one. You may say he is confident, true, even the bible tells us of the son of King David called Absalom who rebelled against his father, and there were people who believed and supported him , like you Liphava. Keep on dreaming, saletsana kulota. Remember day one start when you took oath of office , and you can decree something and it will happen, but not the dual citizenship, ask how it works. Don’t be your ignoramus.
Chilima – Dual Citizenship would require an act of Parliament, so you cannot introduce dual citizenship on day one. In a democracy a President cannot grant dual citizenship without an act of parliament which may or may not be passed. So you are already behaving as a dictator. You walk and talk a dictator.
Chilima is a fox in sheep’s clothing.
Chilima is no democrat. Chilima and a person now diplomat serving in a mission RIGGED the election for DPP.
Chilima had said that he would reveal how DPP rigged the elections and then went quite.
Why?
Chilima was the one who rigged the elections. That is why, it was Chilima, VJ from Zambia and the diplomat.
Che Saulosi wasting his precious time in UK when his party is fighting out in Court for registration. Please come back and trot around Malawi to sell your empty promises while in a drunken stuper. Too much bidida and it makes your reasoning go down. Am even disgusted to hear that even your wife Maria sumumvera akamukulanagiza zoti uchepetse mowa. Yes yo are an adult as you told off Makondi and others when they came to your house to advise you to slow down on calresberg bee drinking. You make shameful Mr. Saulosi. We had trust in you when the UTM started but slowly the trust is wading away. My advice is that leave the UTM to Kambala or Chidanti Malunga who are mature and respect themselves. Not you who is always drunk and promise people the moon,.If you dont leave the mantle to these two forget about UTM bus service until 2024
But Newton Kambala cannot manage because ALIBE MFUNDO whenever he speaks on podium and mostly he takes about business and his profession which sounds clearly that he is imposing himself to be a politician and cannot lead the country. He has no such qualities may be if you think of the same guy wa Bibidayu but perhaps with a female running mate during elections and certainly UTM can sail through. Only if there could be a female running mate from the North and South to compete.
Come back home and fight your party recognition by the registrar.Come back for your usual booze.Why are you busy exposing your ignorance in the UK.
Do not make a fool of yourself,elections are never won by an individual.
This man is taking over power next year; he is a symbol of change and represents the hope
But what he was telling AZUNGU in London not salty.He could have hinted harder on the Cash gate and Corruption at its best by the State.
The leader we trust
Your Excellency Chilima, please don’t make the same mistakes as the presidents before you; making too many promises but thin on delivery. I would politely ask the question as to why you were unable to deliver dual citizenship in the last 4 years whilst holding the 2nd highest office in the land.
You mean you dont know?
I’m not a fan of dual-citizenship, with high corruption in our country I’ll be easy for people you got money to obtain it. Especially those who are bad , they can easily tinted our country’s image. Just saying.
First and foremost, you are the one who helped put APM in power. The DPP’s ruthlessness and theft was well documented even before you joined them, and you joined them because you somehow saw yourself benefitting from the same crookedness and savagery of the DPP. You had the option of joining PP, UDF, MCP etc in 2014 but these are the guys you saw yourself eating at the same table with, but since they don’t share you are angry.
Secondly, you wanted to run on the DPP ticket in 2019 and already had DPP Boma 2019 tshirts with your face on them. Since that coup didn’t work out as planned, you ditched them.
Thirdy, When Lazarus Chakwera and CSO’s have been crying the past four years about corruption, you spoke against them and guaranteed that DPP will win again in 2019.
Lastly, when even CSO’s this past April thought you are a reasonable man and asked you to receive their petition against APM and DPP governance, you ignored them and told them off.
The point is, you are an enabler. You campaigned for and with the devil to lead Malawi to where it is. And you are still campaigning with some of the same devils you made promises with in 2014.
By extension, are you suggesting that DPP has failed to lead Malawi to prosperity and if so, which party will. We have MCP which failed us before and then there is UDF…….need I say more. Unfortunately Malawi has a limited number of career politicians who are all tainted with the antiquated Kamuzu-type politics. We need fresh people with fresh energy and ideas. People who really care for the people and are selfless, moral and ethical. Do we have such people and leaders in Malawi? Probably that’s the question we need to ask.
Yes, but he got out! And he is speaking up and calling the Maliseche administration out So your argument is irrelevant at this time!!! ……SKC Boma 🔥🔥🔥🔥
By extension thereof; SKC is the MasterPlan guy who rigged elections and this time he openly tells the Public that DDP cannot rig elections in 2019 because NDIMAFANA and if you think it deeply you see that all these guys UTM and DDP are Riggers of Elections.
Didnt Joyce Banda get out of DPP and formed own party whilst still VP? What did we get out of it? Cashgate, Azungu andiwuza kuti, Jet disapppeared, donated cows that we cant trace the benefits of it, talked tough before getting on the hot seat. How about Bingu? Didnt he dump UDF and even arrested his predecessor. But what did we get, Mpumulo wa bata and a Mansion on Ndata Farm, chasing diplomats, a trigger happy police force, Chasowa murder, May 20/21 shootings, Callista getting paid for charity work, etc. So don’t talk like SKC is the first to get out and speak up. Its same script, different actors. I don’t mind SKC winning but please lets stop thinking he is Jesus. The guy has flaws and for someone to be in an organization whose chairman is one Mr. Noel Masangwi, that shows some characteristics he has.
MCP …..2019 BOMAAAA
Chilima u have my vote if u really mean za dual citizenship.Adzibale athu akukanika kupanga ma business Ku Malawi chifukwa chopatsidwa limited days when coming from abroad
Mwana ali ndi maloto achumba uyu,Akulira ndimkodzo wake omwe
He thinks framers of the Malawi constitution were stupid to reject dual citizenship. There were good reasons for that.
my friend,it was a good idea those days but now e have to look at it critically.Alot of people with talents have chosen not to represent malawi either in business ,sports,entertainment even in academia bcoz they are told to denounce their citizenship from the other country if they want to do so.we lose alot bcoz with the current state of our country there is no way some one can chose to lose their american or british citizenship for this mess called malawi but if we aloud duo citizenship this wouldnt have been a problem.There are alot of footbaall players outside malawi who have one parent malawian or both malawian but they were raised outside malawi.they failed to play fro malawi bcoz we wanted them to drop there citizenship to the other countries for example tamika mkanddawire,who played for westbrom,he wanted to represent the flames but he failed bcoz of issue of denying duo citizenship,another one is phumulani dindi,he played for orlando pirates ,a south african citizen who has malawian roots ,he failed also bcoz of same issue.Benjamin Mwaluwari is another one,he played for zimbambwe instead coz of our useless clinging to single citizenship.But as a country we are also stupid some how coz other players like enerst mtawali had duo citizenship but he still played for malawi.he had a south african passport as well ass a malawian passport.so i think we shud just adopt the duo citizenship thing bcoz they are alot of people out there with similar cases and mtawali is just one example.
Well said, but can a president decide on his own to introduce dual citizenship; I for one, would not want to dilute my Malawianness with another citizenship.
…..and what is Malawianness?
No, a president on his own cannot introduce dual citizenship. Parliamentarians will have to debate the issue . The Malawi Citizenship legislation and other relevant pieces will have to be scrutinized. Security implications will also have to be looked into. However, Malawi has not reached the stage where it have dual citizenship in its statute books. Bringing to book culprits holding dual citizenship that have committed offences while in Malawi may prove problematic assuming that Malawi does not have an extradition treaty with the country to which the culprit has fled to. For the security of the Republic of of Malawi, dual citizenship is not an option. Spies will cohabit among us and study our weakness in so far as our security or defence is concern. I for one do not trust some of the countries surrounding us. Malawians residing in those countries may exploit the dual citizenship to their advantage. Patrick Phiri, we are together …
Educate us on the good reasons against it, dont just negate an idea. Am sure there was also a time when people felt it was ok to carry out kuchotsa fumbi etc… Times change