Malawi now has functional veep, Chilima reliable partner in the Presidency – Analyst  

A governance expert and socio-political commentator Makhumbo Munthali has observed that Malawi now has an empowered vice-president, saying the office holder Dr Saulos Chilima is indeed a functional second-in-command who has hit the ground to improve public service delivery.

Office of the Vice-President in the country is a delegated one, an arrangement that has seen Vice-Presidents, including Chilima, sidelined or victimised by the political system.

But President Lazarus Chakwera, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president leading the nine-party Tonse Alliance government, pledged to allow Chilima —who is also UTM Party president— to be functional vice-president , according to their power-arrangement deal.

Chilima also serves as Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms and has been engaging Cabinet ministers this week to orient them on the reforms drive.

“It’s a good move by the Vice President to keep on engaging all Cabinet Ministers (and their respective teams) on proposed reforms in their Ministries. Already loving the Facebook updates by the Veep sharing a summary of the discussions as well as his personal reflections on the same,” governance expert Munthali told Nyasa Times.

He added that such updates provide an opportunity for the citizens not only to know some key proposed reforms in a particular Ministry but also to give their feedback on the same.

“Equally important to Cabinet Ministers is the message being driven home that they are not only accountable to the President but also to the Vice President -besides to the citizens- including on reforms related business in their respective Ministries.

“To this end, the Veep becomes a reliable partner in the Presidency in order to deliver reforms in their respective Ministries. Perhaps, this is why President Chakwera recently appealed to all and sundry to support the Vice President in the public sector reforms path.

“It apparently shows that the Veep is now working.”

Chilima’s meeting with the Cabinet ministers comes after he recently met directors of finance and chief executive officers (CEOs) from statutory corporations in Blantyre and Lilongwe.

He also met private sector leaders on the same.