Malawians are biggest losers, a nation betrayed and duped: Malawi press reacts to electoral reforms
The week has ended with Electoral Reforms Bill dominating headlines with government legislators opposing the piece of legislation that would see the country implementing the 50+1 electoral system of choosing the country’s president from the First-Past-the-Post system, news that has attracted editorial comments in major Malawians dailies on Friday.
“Malawians are the biggest losers,” screamed an editorial headline in the influential The Nation newspaper which pointed out that there was reluctance by the President Peter Mutharika administration to take to the National Assembly a set of bills under the banner of Electoral Reforms Bills.
The paper noted that following pressure from several stakeholders and fearing mass protests organised by Public Affairs Committee (PAC), opposition parties and civil society organisations, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government tabled the bills albeit adulterated.
The Malawi Law Commission proposed at least six bills in its report to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Among these bills were: 1. Amendment of Section 80 (2) of the Constitution and Section 96 (5) of the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections (PPE) Act proposing 50 percent majority in presidential election; 2. Consolidation of PPE Act and Local Government Elections Act; 3. Amendment of Section 81 (3) of the Constitution for swearing in of president and vice-president to be done after 30 days; 4. The Assumption of Office of President Bill would provide for the establishment of a transition team before a president is sworn in; 5. Amendment to Section 62 of the Constitution where each district would provide a single constituency in which only women would contest as candidates for member of Parliament; 6. Elections Management Fund to ensure Malawi Electoral Commission is financially autonomous.
In its comment, The Nation said the wishes of Malawians as expressed through recommendations on the Special Law Commission Report of Electoral Reforms, are being “systematically discarded” by political machinations of the DPP.
The paper said with the Electoral Commission Act (Amendment) Bill referred to the Legal Affairs Committee and the Referendum Bill and yet another adulterated Transitional Arrangement (Assumption of Office by the President and Vice President) Bill rejected, the impression one gets is that the traits of ‘Executive arrogance’ have systematically been thrown to the Legislature.
“We dare say that is not smart. It is taking Malawians for granted,” the paper said, warning the citizens are watching the machinations.
The editorial stated that “Malawians are the biggest losers” having been given a “raw deal.” But, it said, posterity will be the best judge.
On the other hand, Malawi flagship newspaper Daily Times screamed with an editorial headline: ‘A nation betrayed and duped’.
The comment went to state that it was clear in the first place that Mutharika administration was afraid of Electoral Reforms Bills and “played all cards in the book of crooks “to derail the enactment of the legislation.
Now that the bill proposing 50 percent majority in presidential election has been blocked, the paper says the nation should reflect on why it has happened.
“First, what is pronounced in all this is betrayal. Secondly, what we see is crookedness on the party of the [DPP] government,” reads the comment in part.
It noted that Malawi as a nation has mastered the art of deception and has full of politicians – both in government and opposition – “who do not have integrity and move around with a price tag hanging on their heads.”
The paper said MPs from both sides of the House have let down the nation “greatly”.
“Those who decided to abstain and those who were absent are actually the people that posterity will blame for their acts of cowardice, selfishness and betrayal,” it said.
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Uladi is the worst human being Malawi has produced. He is very greedy. any it does not surprise me because PP and DPP are offshoots of UDF. We all know that Bakili is the King of thieves. In 1995 Bakili bribed AFORD and Pitala has bribed PP and UDF. AFORD is dead after being sucked all the blood. PP and UDf are dying as their blood is being sucked. The sucking of blood is real and it is Lomwes who suck blood. The blood of all Malawians is being sucked and people are dying of unforeseen poverty and we are living for 24 hours without electricity. sleepy Malawians are cheteeeee. Kupusa kwenikweni. I have never seen people who are stupid like us Malawians
In Malawi we actually had a respectable voter turnout in 2014, about 70% of eligible voters went to the polls. There were more than 10 candidates/parties on the ballot. The big man himself only took 30% of the vote. Is there a party well-liked enough to actually get more than 50% of the entire vote? I don’t think so. I don’t trust politicians, no matter your party. The motivation to run for office is self-enrichment. Only a liar can say they are a politician and they are looking out for my best interest. The politicians are eating rice with chicken whilst I am here with a cold plate and a sore back.
Fools, greedy, selfish, educated embiciles and the list is endlbyess, that’s what I can call Malawian MPs who shot down the ERB. You have shown how coward, uncaring, money orioented, foolish and uncivilized you are.
Fellow brothers in SADC are really laughing at this sinking ship called Malawi. With these kind of unobjective MPs in Parliament, I don’t see any meaningful businesse being achieved in this country. These gluttons can sell their souls as cheap as K200 000. This is very pathetic.
I also blame our passivity Malawians which is caused mainly by higher levels of illiteracy, that makes politicians to take advantage of us. These stupid MPs need some sort of heavy beating by intruding in one of their sittings such as our friends in Ukraine and other countries that beat up useless MPs. In our country its impossible because people hero worship politicians: which is very much pathetic. Can you see now how these people are reducing the citizenry to nothing? Fellow Malawians let’s wake up and boot out these conspirators via a ballot. Your vote is of great importance than the packet of sugar, bag of maize, or K1 000 note that they give you.
LET’S WAKE UP MALAWIANS AND EXERCISE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE WITH SENSE!!!!!!! GOD REEDEM MALAWI!!!!
We can not stab ourselves to death. Neither do we need assisted suicide. Wait till you get into government and then you will have a go at the electoral reforms with your mother’s in parliament.
We will not allow those reforms anytime soon until when we are dead tired of ruling and stealing frim the public coffers and all our relatives from our villages are fully employed in the Civil Service and parastatals.
Ndiye aziti ma demo ena. Bwinotu PAC. Azibusa a dyera. And you now say ma demo akuvuta kwa ,agetsi. I dont think all your members are as stupid as you PAC leaders. You can not dangle them as a carrot or can not just be following you ngati mchila.
Malawi will move nowhere. It will be duped. It will have its ruling class enriching themselves the way they like. It will have its natural resources used and abused. Its urban population will drink feaces and plunged into darkness.
You want to know the reason? It is the only country whose university youths lack “youthquake mentality” instead choosing to align themselves with cadets!
I knew it won’t be successful. Make sure that your hands are clean before confronting others. Atleast demos for power blackouts NOT 50+1% electoral reforms bill. Its an unpopular bill to many Malawians of good will. Bravo our MPs for shooting it down. Other people are serving their masters interest here to enrich themselves. Malawians are the biggest winners here. Thank you
Mr Chakwera is a crock and hypocrite. From the word go he hated the electoral reform bill as was disclosed by the Nation on Sunday. Recall how he dumped CCAP for Assemblies of God. He used very silly reasons.
Can you imagine the whole Leader of Opposition allowing MPs from his never win party be absent. This was a crocked way of defeating the bill. Ameneyo ndiye Chakwera, tambwali wobadwa mwatsopano.
MCP, watch out!!!
You can fool some people some times, but you cannot fool all the people all the times. Our plans are not God’s plan neither are our ways God’s ways. What God has rejected, cannot force itself to remain in power. Check in the Bible the story of King Saul & King David. The one God has anointed will surely become Malawi’s leader! Grace Mugabe tried all the dirty tricks she knew to make herself a president, but God’s finger did not point at her! DPP, you have not won. You cannot continue to take people for granted. We are paying to an answering God who agrees with us that it is high time this corrupt and selfish regime comes to an end. Your end is nigh. Ukamafa umayamba kugontha mkhutu komanso too much makani. Ndinawonera Bingu!
If one may be still asking questions why Malawi despite its political stability remains one of the poorest countries in the world.? Going through this article and some of the comments that follow, the answer is more than CLEAR..
It’s full of selfish, primitive and retrogressive people, starting with voters at community level who literally do not even understand the value of their vote; to greedy, re-cycled corruption-intoxicated politicians with zero integrity, thinking only about their bellies and zippers for mahule.
No wonder our neighbouring countries laugh at us. Pa Zambia pompa the 50+1 system is already used.
In fact, some of us feel uncomfortable when some our colleagues address us by ‘achimwene’. As much as it is meant to be a fond word, but it’s also synonymous with wosalira, someone from tima city/town totsalira with endless blackouts, unexposed, primitive’. Even Zuma mocked us about our roads.
But it’s because Malawians are not truly patriotic. What is strange is eni ake a Malawi seem to be lacking insight about our true status. And ena kumazipopa ndithu ngati zenizeni. Timazichemelera tsono!
No wonder we even have the audacity of celebrating the blocking of such an important pro-development bill like the ERB. The effects of which would have transcended beyond and across generations and political divides. But our current politicians putting on myopic-political lens cannot see beyond their full bellies. SAD indeed.
That’s why even the True Living God cannot bless such a nation. Are Malawians really surprised that since Peter Mutharika took over office this country has NEVER been free of disasters, natural and/man-made? It started with floods in 2015, hunger, kaloswe-chaponda maize scandal, perennial blackouts, the list is endless. I personally have no doubt there’s more to come. Mark my words!
Ka dziko aka with its current leadership ndi kotembeleredwa. And with the current mentality and mindset of some people, we should as well just forget about making meaningful development.
Fake Petros, 50+1 cannot solve our political and economic problems. The disasters you are talking about are happening all over the world. The problems Malawi has today are a creation of, or a result of the stupidity of previous governments. The opposition is equally self-interested and without any real vision for Malawi. All the noise they are making is about wanting to be in power so that they can say ‘it’s our turn to eat.’
So all that noise Chakwera you could not organise your MPS to champion this bill. How can someone chicken out on such an important matter? You have shown how divided you are as an opposition and that you can easily be manipulated.
Govt MPs were simply praising their master whom they feel may fall victim of. Their position was clear, they played all tricks to shoot it down.
We will make an overhaul in 2019
This is the problem when you have thugs in the driving seat. Do you really feel comfortable when a thug or drunkard is driving you? Can you get to your destination? Have our children have a future? Blame it on the DPP leader who is the prince of thieves.
Sorry poor Reverend. You mean even those in opposition voted against it
Baba Chakwera now you are finished. Dpp will win again mcp back to opposition again until 2024 many of us will be dead by then
Bye 50+1 MBC should announce pa mauthenga a zachisoni that 50+1 is dead and Pac is making funeral arranrangements
DDP do not care about the people.
Malawi is pathetic nothing will ever change our country has been plunged into dark age
Here comes the “Prince”. The president of Malawi
Ana achepa (Chakwera and PAC)
Malankhulidwe enawa amakhala ngati tachita kutunthidwa ndi chamba!
DPP only has 50 MPs, therefore, it’s wrong to accuse government of sabotage when the bill has flopped on a wide margin of 97-62. The media should be saying, Parliament has rejected the 50+1 bill. It’s democracy for goodness sake. And I would say, the rejection of the bill is good for our country. We don’t have money to be spending on second-round elections. Besides, if enacted the 50+ bill would NOT SOLVE our political and economic problems.
Why did govt bring the Bills into parly while it knew from deep down the heart they would not garner support from their own MPs?
Simple answer: The government brought the bill hurriedly because it was pressurised by Catholic Bishops, PAC, other churches, activists and the media.
this dumb thinking thats why Malawi will never develop people like you are the ones killing the country work up man this 2016
First, it is a lame excuse to state that the country has no money to run a second round electoral process. Just look at the amount of money being abused through corrupt related activities as exposed by the press. If that amount is added together, it is huge sums which can cater for any electoral related activity.
Second, the said electoral bill is good for Malawi’s electoral system and democracy. The 50+1 system, also called the Majoritarian electoral system, allows a winning candidate to have more than 50% of the votes, hence having the majority votes in an election. 50+1 also helps the incumbent president to have legitimacy from the voters as most people will see the power of their votes being manifested in the man or woman they have eventually send to Kamuzu Palace or Sanjika Palace or Mzuzu State Lodge.
Furthermore, the majoritarian system reduces cases of electoral disputes as the candidate who becomes president wins outright. That is unlike in the “first–past–the–post” or “the winner–take–all” system, which simply awards a seat to the candidate who receives the most votes cast in an election. In the “first–past–the–post” the candidate need not get a majority (50 %+) of the vote to win as long as he has a larger number of votes than all other candidates that had contested. Thus in “first–past–the–post” situation a candidate can win with a meager 225,985 votes, and the loser often lives with suspicions of fraud or that the votes were stolen. The 50+1 system ensures that if no candidate wins more than 50% in the first round, the first two candidates head for a second round in which the voters choose a candidate who eventually wins the presidency.
Third, the 50+1 bill has nothing to do with economic problems. Economic problems can best be handled by technocrats who are well versed in economic and financial polices. If people do not change their stealing and fraud mentality, then, the economy will continue going down the drain and the country’s development will never surpass those of the countries that were behind it before 1994 but now they are ahead of Malawi.. Look at Mauritius …
If you accuse opposition then it is unfortunate. I thought your article started very well but lost in the end. Govt has all done what they wanted to block the electoral reform bill. You could see from the beginning that they did not want the bill as they for sure that they can not make 50+1% results therefore for them to cling to power they want to use Thyolo, Mulanje, Chiradzulu and Phalombe votes totaling to 36% that Malawians have elected a leader shame!!!!!! What God has anointed no one shall change it even if you can use any tactics on the land. Those MPS who went absent in the house must fall come 2019 because they contributed to betray Malawians shame, Govt run by Prince of Thieves.
If I may ask, why did PAC postpone the demos? If GRACE told you that the DPP govt does not want 50+1, how did you expect them to pass the same (bill). PAC wanted bills tabled. They were tabled but not passed. Which way to go now? U indeed just romanced the devil. Soon mutisiye nthawi ndi yolima.
This is what happens when you are being ruled by a combination of mafias, nincompoops, anamalichende, asankhwi, atombolombo, anyani, thieves and scavengers.
One thing they don’t know is that they are digging their own political graves. Mwachenjera lero pogona.
PP is another useless and lifeless party full of mbuli, opportunists makape etc etc. Tikukuwonani and tikuyankhani pompano. 2019 sikale.
Pali makape angapo ku PP kuphatikiza madyeramphoto wa ku Salima. Anthu amenewa akuona ngati kuti achenjera koma tsiku lina adzalira ching’ang’adza. Ralphael Mhone wa PP anapeleka ndemanga yotambasula komanso yowunikira bwino pa zomwe boma lachita poyika zinthu zina m’mabilo ndi cholinga choti akanidwe. Ndiye ma MP a DPP pakuphatikizapo aganyu ‘akana’ kusonyeza kuti apambana. Zochita za aphungu ena a PP omwe adapita ku State House zikuonetsa kuti chiripo china chachikulu chomwe adagwirizana. Taona ndi maso komanso kumva ndi makutu athu. Mwachenjera. Ndipo mupitilize kukhala ochenjera!.
Timakuuzani koma makani. Politicians are the same. Tsono vuto oChakwerawa ndale za ma tithe pa pulpit amayesa akhoza kubwera nazo mparliament. Being big-headed for nothing. Kuyesa kutukwana president kuti amangidwe atchuke waona Pitala ali phee
You can force a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink. You forced the government to table the bills, you could not force it to pass them.
Poti boma likuona ngati kuti lidangogwa kuchoka m’mlengalenga nkuyamba kulamulira, agwira ntchito yotamandika. Zikomo!
Thank you Nyasatimes for amplifying what the Nation and Daily Times have written in the commentaries. The system will check the traitors in just one and half years. A win or loss today is not a permanent imprint. There is a lot of wisdom in the faith leaders under the umbrella of PAC and mother religious bodies, they will find a way forward
You now want PAC to help. I thought you just abused and called PAC all sorts of names after they withdrew their plans to demonstrate!!! You already showed your full colours and your altitude towards PAC. You only want to use PAC to fulfil your hidden motives. Pano zavuta ndiye mukufuna PAC ikuthandizeni.
The public is watching with keen interest the behaviour of MCP and its supporters. The way you curse when something does not go your way. The way you abuse those that dare oppose your leader and party. The way you celebrated the by-election victories (by abusing those that lost and at the same time behaving as if you have already won 2019 elections) and many more. Malawians are watching and they are keeping their fears, worries, concerns, and anxieties to themselves. Indeed 2019 will tell. MCP zizatheka pankana kale-kale. Kamlepo ananena kale. Fisi ndi fisi angakhale asinthe Phiri lobisalamo sangasinthe akhalabe fisi. Ndaonela the behaviour of MCP supporters and their DPP haters.
This knife dem politician is double edged. Today it has stubbed in the opposition stomach. Mark my words it will also stub those who want to play around with electoral reform bills sooner or later. I watching, we are watching
Shame to our country, 54 years of independence but we still have greedy minds leaders who wants
to enrich themselves & their families leaving a poor voting Malawian in shame dire poverty. Nsizavotanso, akavote ndi ana anu, agalu inu.
Dont worry the first past the post will favour Chakwera in 2019 and DPP will cry for 50+1 but it will be too late. 2019 ikuchedwa
This is very shameful more so that SADC advised Malawi to pass the Electoral Reforms Bills so that all SADC member countries have a uniform voting system for the presidents.
Arithmetic of the results in case you don’t add the figures are as follows: Absent – 29, Abstain – 2, Yes – 64, No – 97. Even though one adds the absent, the abstain and yes the total figure is less than the No. Will be 95 would still be a loss. However, I would imagine that the chairperson who in this case is the Speaker of Parliament did not vote.
We are not talking about expenses here we are talking about a credible system of voting a president in to office as a president.
Mark my words this GVT has led the campaign for Dr. Rev against themselves come 2019.