Malawi Pres. Banda encourages dual citizenship debate
President Joyce Banda says it is time that Malawians start debating on the issue of dual citizenship.
She said this on Tuesday in Geneva when she met Malawians living in Switzerland.
“This is a legal issue and Joyce Banda cannot make laws,” Banda told Malawians made up of the academia, diplomats at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva working and studying in Switzerland.
She then asked Malawians to debate about the issue among themselves.
President Banda used the occasion to brief Malawians in Geneva about the progress of development taking place in Malawi.
She said that she had to take hard decisions to put Malawi’s economy back on track.
Banda said that she was happy that the plans are now yielding fruits and cited the reduction of fuel and some basic commodity prices as fruits of the economic recovery plan her administration has put in place.
The President also told the gathering about some new developmental projects taking place in Malawi such as Vale Railway project, the completion of Chipembere Highway, the construction of the Chikhwawa – Nsanje, Thekerani and Phalombe roads to super bitumen standards.
Banda further told Malawians in the Diaspora that her Government has five priotised areas of great concern for national development which are agriculture, tourism, mining, infrastructure and water development.
She informed them that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Malawi donors are back and tobacco price are going up.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Lester Chitsulo spoke on behalf of all Malawians living in Switzerland that their children should not lose their birthright as Malawi citizens just because of their parents’ decisions to stay abroad, hence asked the President to look into the issue of dual citizenship.
“We are happy with the creation of a Diaspora desk at the ministry of foreign affairs which helps us interact, but with dual citizenship we can contribute much more towards the development of Malawi,” Dr. Chitsulo said.
He, therefore commended President Banda’s leadership that things have started getting better and it was his hope that this will continue.
Chitsulo said that as Malawians living in the diaspora they are willing to assist in deferent sectors in order to develop Malawi.
He then on behalf of fellow Malawians pledged support to President Banda adminstration.
The President is in Geneva on invitation by International Labour Organization.–Malawi News Agency
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