Malawi opposition leader Chakwera calls for peaceful protests

Malawi’s leader  of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera  has called for peaceful protests against government  this coming Friday, April 27 2018 which civil  society organisations (CSOs) are  organising nationwide to petition President Peter Mutharika and his administration on governance shortcomings and handling of the K4 billion allocation to members of Parliament (MPs).

Chakwera , who has endorsed the CSOs cause, has said time is now for the people of Malawi  to rise and peacefully protest against the government.

“My appeal would be, let them be done peacefully. Let them be done in a way that truly expresses the grievances that Malawians feel at this particular time,” said Chakwera.

CSOs want to force cancellation of disbursement of the K4 billion fund, and push for the resignation or dismissal of Cabinet ministers Goodall Gondwe (Finance, Economic Planning and Development) and Kondwani Nankhumwa (Local Government and Rural Development) over their roles in the scam.

Chakwera, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, said as a first person to protest about the disbursement of the K4 billion to legislators in his speech when Parliament was rising, he was in support of the demos.

He said: “I was the first person to protest… because the government was failing to explain. We acted in good faith but our friends acted in bad faith.”

Initially, the MCP leader was part of the agreement by members of Parliament (MPs) to allocate the said amount to all the 193 MPs instead of the initial 80, before making a U-turn later.

The influential quasi-religious grouping Public Affairs Committee (PAC) also endorsed the demonstrations, according to  chairperson the Reverend Felix Chingota and his spokesperson Father Peter Mulomole said yesterday theorganisation’s executive board was yet to meet to discuss their postponed demos in relation to the April 27 CSOs demos.

Said Mulomole: “We are supporting the April 27 demos because they are being organised by fellow civil society organisation.”

The demonstrations will be held in Karonga, Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba and Trapence said it was in accordance with Section 40 [2] [d] of the Constitution.

The demonstrations will be held in Karonga, Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba and Trapence said it was in accordance with Section 40 [2] [d] of the Constitution.