Malawi paper says honeymoon over for Chakwera, Tonse government

Malawi’s leading daily newspaper, The Nation, has used its editorial comment to point out that 60 days since  President Lazarus Chakwera assumed the high office,  dust has now settled on the election campaign euphoria and Malawians are expecting the change they were promised.

‘Honeymoon over for Chakwera, team,’ the paper’s editorial headline reads as it stated that tie for rhetoric is now over and it is time to deliver on the campaign  pledges of Tonse Alliance, which were mostly a blend promises of Malawi Congress Party 9MCP) and UTM Party of Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

The honeymoon period is a metaphor that is used to compare the new president coming to power and his first few months with the honeymoon of a newly-married couple.

Just as the newly-married couple are deeply in love with each other and can’t find any fault in their partner, so the country trusts so much in the new president and in the promises that they made in their election campaign that they cut them a lot of slack in their first few months.

“If truth be told, the Tonse Alliance raised the hoped of many Malawians as its leadership promised to do things differently and, above all, fight corruption, economically empower the masses and ensure fairness in recruitment as well as award of contracts,” observed the editorial.

The paper noted that Malawians are hurting with the impact of coronavirus which has seen up to 273 000 losing their job during the first half of this year. It also noted that many others are struggling to make ends meet and looking forward to bailouts from government in form of cash transfers to ease the pain.

The comment  said Chakwera rightly acknowledged  in his remarks at Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe when he opened a two-day orientation and training for Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers that time for talking is over but  matching the governing Tonse Alliance’s campaign promises with action on the ground.

“The starting point should be changing mindset by employing a results–based approach to undertaking government business. Talk less and do more,” the paper said

The President said the 32-member Cabinet will hold its first full Cabinet meeting in “a few days” after the orientation session.