Malawi presidential age-limit bill fails to get unanimous consent
President Peter Mutharika, former president Joyce Banda and opposition leader Lazrus Chakwera have escaped the 2019 presidential race disqualification over age matters after legislators from both sides of the House dismissed a motion which seeks to limit the presidential age to 65.
Nsanje south MP Joseph Chidanti Malunga moved the motion on Thursday, saying Malawi should show commitment in the empowerment of the youth by limiting the age to which presidents should be in office.
He therefore suggested that section 80 of the Republican Constitution be amended to put a cap on the age presidents can be in office.
Malunga however said the motion was not targeting an individual.
President Mutharika is 79 whilst vice president Saulos Chilima who heads the Chilima movement and wants to run for presidency is 45, Banda is 68 while Chakwera could be barred in the next elections.
Seconding the motion, Mulanje south MP Bon Kalindo said experience has shown that old and aged leaders do not make decisions on their own.
“Decisions are always made by those who surround the leaders,” he said.
Both Malunga and Kalindo are members of the Chilima movement, a breakaway grouping of former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP0.
However, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Lilongwe south MP Peter Dimba said the motion was segregative against old people and it was targeting an individual, President Mutharika ahead of next year’s elections.
Dimba argued that age does not deliver but competency of an individual.
He gave an example of former presidents Kamuzu Banda and Bingu wa Mutharika whom he said delivered despite their advanced ages.
Dimba said: “Age has nothing to do with the quality of leadership and there is no correlation between age and leadership. This country does not need a young man as President. This country does not need an old man as President. This country needs a leader.”
Mulanje Bale MP Victor Musowa described the motion as disrespectful to the youth and a mockery to the elderly.
After the heated debate, Malunga decided not to wind up, a process which could have led to voting on whether to adopt the motion or not as the motion was heading towards defeat.
Chilima movement officials have been accusing Mutharika of incompetency due to old age, saying decisions are made on his behalf by those who surround him, allegations vehemently denied by the president.
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DPP reporter. Dr. Chakwera has no age!
Wasted time!!!. Why not focus on real issues like voter education, changing the constitution to require immediate investigation of higher crime like crippling corruption? How can you build an inland port without proper consultation? You can’t build an airport in the North of Malawi or challenge the president to report progress on road building at mombera university?
Age limiterss were wantonly misguided on this issue.
Round 1 APM and SKC. argument point age. Result APM 100. SKC 0.
The Chilima movement made one huge mistake by claiming that Peter was too old to lead. They were trying to be polite to the president something that doesn’t work in politics. Calista should’ve been direct. APM has failed Malawians and can no longer lead DPP to victory in 2019. Then all their campaigns should have centered on performance.
Round 2 APM and SKC argument point presidential age limit regislation. winner APM The Chilima movement were so naive to think that MCP would agree to be thrown into yet another complication. By suggesting 65 years they made a very big mistake. No MCP law maker would accept to regislate against their candidate. Chliima movement bill was wonderful but brought at the wrong time and for the wrong reason. Please Chilima movement prepare the next battle well. Be objective.
The man who moved this motion and the one seconding it are both below 65 but look at how shallow they can think.
KKKKKKKKKKKKK !!!!!! Mr. Malunga and Mr. Kalindo. Do not display your dullness and bitterness in public. This is very embarassing !!!
SHAMED to the bone. Chilima Movement is making so many mistakes by focusing on non-issues. This should not have been brought to parliament at all because barring someone from contesting the presidency is discriminatory.
Malunga and Kalindo plus others please stop embarrassing Chilima . What the MCP Legislator – Dimba said yesterday in parliament about Chilima, was a shame to he – Chilima. ” Just because he plays volley ball, he goes to the Gym and goes to run and is 45 he thinks he is fit for the Presidency?” What is the Manifesto of and Agenda of the Chilima Movement??? he queried . Please Malunga and Kalindo plus Kaliyati we all know you are disgruntled guys. Why did you not argue against Dimba? Why did you Malunga not wind up the motion? Why did you not turn up again in parliament? My guess just like that of many is that you were shocked. You thought majority of MPs. are on your side??? Shame to you Nana Malunga. As for Kalindo please keep on kukoka kanundu wako. 2019 you will go back on stage to perform drama and earn your living because you will not reclaim your seat. The same applies to Chidanti.
And where was Kalonga who wanted to able a private members bill of wanting to strip off Immunity of the sitting president. I guess him also sensed that his motion would be defeated. All these are disgruntled fellows.
See you at the ballot
Cash and not reason is talking in parliament
Manyazi azigwire anthu awo onyoza anthu akuluakulu. Ma motion anu inu a chilima movement azingophwanyidwabe mu parliament. Ine olo zzitavuta bwanji sindingatsatire Patricia Kaliat, Bon Kalindo, Chidanti Malunga komanso Calista ndi mbuzi zina zonse. Chilima movement ikana\chita bwino ikanakhala ndi anthu ena osati mikango yanjala ili mu movementiyi. I like chilima a lot but he is just surrounded by a banch of losers.
DPP 100% : AKWENI & SKC MOVEMENT 0%.
Round 1 mwagwa nayo.
Kalonga naye wabanduka. Mwagwa nayonso round 2.
Is Ben Kalindo that ignorant about how important decisions are made in politics, and elsewhere for that matter? (“Decisions are always made by those who surround the leaders.”) In politics, especially, important decisions are made by the leader and his close advisers, and often with support from his/her caucus: even in dictatorships, like that of dreaded Kamuzu Banda and MCP, the President didn’t make the decisions by himself, even if that was the appearance.
Many reasonable minds opined on this forum, and elsewhere, that this proposal would not pass in the house, and was a waste of time.
Half baked ideas, like this one, are doomed to fail. And there are many ways of empowering the “youth” (NOT Chilima Movement – enough already!) without prejudicing other peoples’ rights.
There is need for age limit and it should be 75 yra, naturally a person who is very old cannot reason properly no wonder the decisions are made by people who are close to the president. The current President is over 75 yrs and apart from is incompetent. So with this kind of leadership Malawi will not develop.
This motion was an excellent one. But the motives and the timing was very poor. This so called movement is telling all Malawians that they want Malawi to belong to the youth only and they do not want anyone older than them. This is a sad development considering that the leadership of the movement is leading from behind not from frontline. What is being seen here is a package of emotions and intolerance among the disgruntled individuals. They are fighting their own battle from various fronts. Join them your own risk!
I support you man. If civil servants are required to retire at 65, what makes a presidency so special to have the sky as the limit? Presidencial eligibility must have an age limit and because we going towards elections, this amendment should have been made to effect in 2024. We Malawians are docile people and how we are commenting leaves everything about us to be desired. It’s never a descrimination against old people but looks at African as a whole, we have old presidents failing to stand, some failing to stay awake in a function, seriously are we moving forward or just don’t care as long as we wake up in the morning and sleep in the night? Age is a wear factor and whether we like it or not, as a human being is growing old, so do organs that help such a one to fully understand some activities. It is nature and cannot be avoided. Government business needs energy and strength, ability to actively participate in government functions and give direction.
bad start
This movement will crumble heavily if they base their issues on age. Most youth have their parents still in most public or private services. Each parent will tell his children not to give them support and that will be the end of this visionless movement. How do you base your campaign on segregation through age? You will end up in a heroic failure.
You think when you are 45years of age. You are only wise and update than every one living.You can ask God too
that people should die at the age of 65 because above that are useless
Why then is the retiring age for civil sservants at 65? Can’t your reasoning apply here?
Retirement age should be increased to 80. If the president is the Head of the government, why should I retire at 65