Malawi protests paused, PAC to remain alert on electoral system

A massive nationwide demonstration planned for Wednesday December 13  to press  Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika  totable  of the six Electoral Reforms Bills has been put on hold after government circulated all pieces of legislation among members of Parliament (MPs).

PAC Chair Dr Felix Chingota reading a statement on demo postponement

Public Affairs Committee (PAC), a multi-faith human rights, democracy and accountability watchdog, says the  demonstrations will not take place on Wednesday  because government has shown goodwill on the electoral reforms bills and want to give them chance to  table them and  be debated in Parliament, stressing that mass action is still on the table. It’s not over yet.

“We have decided to postpone the demonstrations following PAC Board of Trustees, representative of mother bodies and executive committee which met yesterday in Lilongwe to discuss the state of affairs as regards the electoral and local government reforms in parliament,” PAC chairperson Reverend Dr Felix Chingota   told a news conference on Tuesday

“We further examined a report on the updates on the planned peaceful marches in the four cities and the rest of the 24 districts of the country. We also recalled what we presented in the petition delivered to the Head of State and Speaker of Parliament,” he added

He however said they are not pleased that government has rejected several recommendations of the Special Law Commission on Electoral Reforms and introduced new provisions, including extension of the 50+1 majority to the election of members of Parliament (MPs) and ward councillors.

“Be warned that ignoring the 50%+1 [on presidential vote] is a recipe for disaster as we approach the forthcoming 2019 tripartite elections,” said Chingota.

PAC executive director Robert Phiri said the demonstrations were about the tabling of the six Electoral Reforms Bills and that the organisers of the protests would want to observe how things will unfold in the House.

He said PAC has been pushing for the tabling of all the Electoral Reforms Bills as a package following government’s reluctance to take the pieces of legislation to Parliament for debate.

On Monday, government circulated the contentious 50 percent plus one Bill, but after Cabinet made modifications to it so that it also applies to MPs and councillors.

Phiri expressed concern with the development saying Cabinet has now made a “new formulation of the Bill” and not the one recommended by the Special Law Commission.

The proposed bill of the Law Commission had suggested that results of the presidential election be determined when the candidate for presidency obtains the majority of more than 50 percent while the winner for election of MP, woman MP and councillor be determined when a candidate obtains the greatest number of valid votes cast at the poll.

government has also rejected the proposal for introduction of 28 district constituencies where only women candidates would be allowed to contest as MPs.

The Special Law Commission had recommended deleting Section 62 (1) of the Constitution on composition of the National Assembly to include “(b) each district as a single member constituency in which only women shall compete as candidates”.

This was proposed to enhance women participation in politics as well as ensuring that a vulnerable group is represented in Parliament, as Parliaments of Uganda and Lesotho have adopted.

The government has also limited the participation of people who have been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude as they will no longer be eligible to contest.

The current Section 51(c) and (g) states that provided seven years have elapsed, a person once convicted would be eligible.

He said if the Bills will be suffocated, they  would take to the streets in a peaceful demonstration that will include other issues of governance concerns.

The turnout was expected to be good as there had been positive response from nearly all quarters of the society since the influential quasi-religious body announced its intention to hold the nationwide demonstrations.

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Jongoman
6 years ago

A bunch of confunsionists for reall

Remnant
Remnant
6 years ago

Chitsiru ndi chimene chili ndi maganizo oti PAC has failed. Ndinu anthu opusa ndiponso zitsiru. Ndizoonadi akulu anati Sukulu imachotsa umbuli inde koma singachotse uchitsiru. Ndaonera inu anthu opusa kwambiri. Cholinga cha PAC chinali chakuti ma bill akayendetsedwe ka zisankho aja apite ku Parliament. Boma linapanga present those bills dzulo ndipo reports say that menbers will deliberate on them this Thursday and possibly. For this reason I don’t see any reason why PAC should go g on with the planned march when what they wanted has been addressed by government. Unless they had something else in their plans. Remember PAC… Read more »

LIPHAVA NAMANDWA NGONGOLIWA
LIPHAVA NAMANDWA NGONGOLIWA
6 years ago

Good decision after we in the DPP have finally forked out the bills from the hapless Solicitor Janet . We bowed down to your key demand. The other demands were bonus ones abd kets have gentlemen agreements on them over a cup of tea . After all the darkness you see can not be eliminated in a few months. We need to procure the generators by single sourcing kuti tidyepo the way we dI’d wit the EQUIP deal. Azingodya Perks Ligoya yekha ambuye? Iaiiiii zimenezo. Koma a PAC munaigwira ntchito. Sitimaiona bwino demo imeneyi. Munayamba kutigazitsa za General Chiwenga wa… Read more »

Samuel
Samuel
6 years ago

Let parliament do its job. If the bill will be rejected, accept defeat. That’s democracy. It is now the duty of parliament to discuss, make amendments and the pass the bill. Your role now is to lobby not to force parliament. All what you must know is that there is no system that is better than the other. It’s not the system that chooses leader’s BUT GOD. Do not be faithless. Whether 50+1 or not GOD will give us a president. Encourage your flock to turn to God when situations seem not promising. God is God. People will fail. God’s… Read more »

Jamax
Jamax
6 years ago

kkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!! now tell me what are you going to do with the money which you were given to do the demonstration? Now listen – you have proved to the masses that you are just a bunch of failures how can you cancel your demonstrations at the very last day?
From now on just know that no one shall ever listen to your unfruitful plans you are just failures both spiritually and physically – Anthu opanda masomphenya – mumafuna kuti mutsogolere anthu kuphompho eti!!!! kkkkk Mulungu wakana because he loves us so much…..

revolution
revolution
6 years ago

France has two rounds of voting for members of parliament nothing wrong with introducing that to the Malawi parliamentary elections. most of u commentators simuwerenga world politics. Macron in France secured parliamentary majority in second round

Mlendo
6 years ago

u thought u have people to follow u. shame on u PAC. what God given no one can take. U are religious fools as Chakera says. mwadyacho chakutsakwani. simumeza komanso simulavula. kkkkkkkk

Noxy
6 years ago

I felt this demo was rushed

Comrade
Comrade
6 years ago

Stupid fools! Money has changed hands, next time don’t ask us to come out and demonstrate……..it’s not just electoral reforms that we wanted to demonstrate……. Depletion of all social services, corruption, poverty, lack of jobs, high cost of living, poor governance, etc etc, …….. You are all chickens PAC ndi a MIpingo nonse!!!!! I think Grace Chiumia was right ………you a bunch of confusionists

Mandaasiyana
Mandaasiyana
6 years ago

Mwagwanayo kikikikikikikikii koma ziliko azibusa izi ndi ndale sizachalichi

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