Malawi should abolish party manifesto system -Economists
Two leading economists have suggested that Malawi should abolish political party manifesto system and instead adopt a long term national development plan to ensure continuation of development programs even if an administration is voted out of power.
Henry Kachaje and Edward Chilima, chairman and executive director of Economics Association of Malawi made the suggestion in a special sponsored television program Thursday evening.
Kachaje noted Malawi will always lag behind in development programs if its development agenda is set and driven by party manifestos,”When an administration is voted out of power, so goes out its development plans too and all development programs initiated stops.”
He suggested that there should be a national development plan strategy instead spanning say 30 years or more.
“Politicians, during campaign, should be telling Malawians how they would implement the national development agenda for the five years if they are voted into power,” he said.
Chilima, on the other hand said this would be a sure way of continued development.
He said it was pathetic that several development programs had to be stopped in Malawi just because its political administration was out of power.
Malawi has had five political administrations with five presidents since independence and has been independent for over 51 years.
However, the country remains one of the poorest in the world with its people living in grinding poverty and analysts blame politicians for not doing enough to take the nation out of its poverty trap.
Better still, abolish the political system and vote for a government of technocrats that can effectively manage the economy and development issues. These should include upgrading agriculture, water management, power, city / regional planning and development and international relations. Malawi needs patriotic people of integrity and high moral values, not these deadbeat businessmen and school drop-outs.
I also agree with 26. Mabotco that Malawi should limit political parties to ONLY 3 but not to regions
The proposed idea is empty of inalienable aspects of pluralism and democracy. Yes, Malawi needs a national development/growth plan. Yet the country equally needs parties with sound manifesto documents which, among others, show how their governments will advance the national development/growth plan. The plan must be national and therefore shared by both the politician and the electorate. The latter will use the plan to determine the former’s potential to develop the country. This determination will inform the decision for voting during elections. The populace will equally assess party performance based on the national plan. This assessment will help the citizen… Read more »
If only we were patriotic enough and angry about our sorry state of country,would we have will power to move out this state. It appears our leaders are not ambitious enough, do they feel ashamed of their country when compare with other countries. They only thing they know is to fill they pockets.
That’s a brilliant idea to taken in board. I also wish to limit number of political parties to maximum of three not by region.
It looks like he knows the problems and he is not profiting from the political corruption mafias rings. He has an answer but who can convince those greedy politicians
This is a reasonable idea worth pushing.
I cannot believe it that these well read Economists can propose this trash. I am amazed that Kachaje and Chilima do not know that the most highly developed countries of the world- USA, Western Europe, Japan etc use the party manifesto system. Bvuto la a Kachaje mukupita kwambili pa MBC TV where you have to say zokomela DPP for your views to be aired.
Nachisale you are saying the same things these two guys are saying but differently. The difference is the same
This guy Kachaje just want publicity