Minister Chiumia says Malawi not ready for 50+1 electoral system: Calls PAC ‘bunch of confused clergy’

December 4, 2017 Judith Moyo – Nyasa Times 46 Comments

Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Grace Chiumia has bluntly said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government is not in support of the proposal of a 50+1 electoral system where the triumphant president contender is decided on the basis of getting a majority 50 percent plus one of the votes to win.

Chiumia:DPP rejects 50 percent plus one voting system

One of the electoral reforms the Malawi Law Commission proposed for parliamentary consideration is that the President must be elected by at least 50 percent plus one vote cast in a presidential election.

Currently, a presidential winner is declared when a candidate obtains more votes than his or her competitors. It is not necessary that he or she obtains more than 50 percent of the votes or more than two-thirds of the votes. It is therefore possible where a presidential contest is overcrowded by candidates that a President could be elected by as low as 20 percent of the votes cast as long as that percentage exceeds the respective shares other candidates have obtained.

Speaking at a DPP political rally held at Mpherembre in Mzimba West Constituency on Saturday, Chiumia said Malawi was not ready for the electoral reforms that support electing a President by majority, saying it will be waste of resources.

Chiumia described Public Affairs Committee (PAC) which s asked government to table the Electoral Reforms Bill as well as the Local Government Reforms Bills or face nationwide protests as “a bunch of confusionists.”

She said: “There is this clergy group called PAC which wants to confuse people on elections as they are advocating for the 50 percent plus one system in electing the President. We have seen how problematic this system has been in other countries because every time a candidate doesn’t get the required votes, then a rerun takes place, which is expensive.”

“Let me tell PAC [that it] is a group of confused religious leaders and they are going to town to confuse the nation on how elections are run in this country,” she added.

Chiumia said money meant for presidential reruns should be used for development agenda.

“I urge you people of Mzimba West, let us all reject this proposal. Join the President so that these people don’t confuse you. Reject this,” she said.

Chiumia continued: “As government, we don’t support this. We don’t want it.”

PAC chairperson Reverend Felix Chingota asked government to do the following; ensure that government tables Electoral Reforms Bill including during the current Parliamentary sitting, ensure that government tables Local Government Act reforms bill including the removal of Members of Parliament (MPs) voting powers at council level, ensure the reforms are tabled by 29thNovember this year failing which PAC will hold a peaceful march nationwide.

The group also want government to prioritise the reforms bill so that they are completed during the current sitting and ensure that they uphold the will of Malawians saying shifting them would be tantamount to suffocating constitutionalism and the collective will of Malawians who put leaders into their respective positions.

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46 replies on “Minister Chiumia says Malawi not ready for 50+1 electoral system: Calls PAC ‘bunch of confused clergy’”

  2. Akumudzi mwatichititsa manyazi bwanji. Muwinaso inu 2019 u MP kwathukuja kaya kudzionongera mbiri. Ngati kunalibungwe kumali limene limayimira anthu nthawi ya one party error ndi PAC. Ndiye munganene kuti bunch of confusionists clergies kuzibayatu kumeneko chemwali wathu.

  4. This so called minister has no brains sure how could you speak that trash in my constituency?? PAC and the clergy speaks for us and we are happy .

  5. No wonder Gresedder said northern region will not produce a president in Malawi. I think she was right. Some northerners talk like they have no brains. I have known Tumbukas as intelligent people but in this case mabi enieni

  7. But the DPP Mental hospital pentients should realise that we judge their mental ability by what they say. So far we have seen that the condition is getting worse by day. Moti any time soon we ll start to refer them to the USA for better scrutiny

  8. Ndi ka demo kapena nditi chidemo cha pa 13 Dec zoti DPP ifika 2019 kapena nditi Moyayu ndizokayikitsa kwabasi. Apa ndikutha kuona chi cardiac arrest komanso anthu akujiya kuParliament ngati padzana paja: pamene a Joice ankalumbisidwa. Zidayamba chonchitu pa Moya wankulu uja.

    Apa tsopano I have remembered prophet Liabunya’s prophecy, it is about to come to pass……watch this space.

  9. No wonder the Tumbukas don’t look to the East to find someone to marry. They prefer marying fellow Tumbukas or the Senas because they discovered how stupidt the Tongas are. Mganda Chiume used to behave in the same manner when he was Minister in the previous DPP government.

  11. How old was this minister in 1992 to call the clergy a “bunch of confusionists”? My suspicion is that she had not yet attained her voting age because if she had, she would be in a position to know that it was the same clergy that fought gallantly for pluralism. She is a confusionist herself.

  12. I agree with you minister. That’s how confused these clergy were when they were removing Kamuzu for this government to get a chance. I guess the confusion that removed Kamuzu is still active in them. They need prayer lest they remove someone.

  13. From my experience Malawians will win since they have religious leaders’ backing. No dictator won against religious backings and civil activities. DDP made themselves life difficult and people will judge them being opposite of the truth. Clever politicians could have avoided religious leaders’ involvement, history tells us that because moral goes down quickly. I question how brilliant political thinker tank of DDP now and then.

  14. A Peter, muvi oyang’anira umalowa mmaso! Ndi ma blunder angati amene Chiumia anapanga. Nkumangomusintha unduna. Lero ndi zimenezo. Kaya mumupititsa kuti pano. Waulula zakuchipinda

  16. Dzanja lalemba. Kafunseni Kamuzu zimene zinamuchitikira in 1993. Paja ankanena kuti anthu sakufuna matipate, see what happened.

  17. Chiumia has said the stand of her DPP as a party. We need to understand that DPP people have no respect for humanity and do not care for whosoever. But then to say that the clergy is a bunch of confusionists is purely lack of fear for God. The people Who vote for you are God’s People in the first place.l not otherwise. As such, the clergy is supreme over politicians…. I for one will carry a placard come 13 Dec 2017.

  18. Grace, you are about to go into oblivion! Anthu ake samenewa owanena za kumtchini wadzadza. Watemberedwa iwe ndipo upenga, siunati.

  19. It is sad that this most beautiful woman in the whole world is insulting clergy because of her beauty. But let us remind her that kukongola sikanthu. The DPP is losing ground and her luod mouth is one of the contributing factor together with some failures to run a govt.

  22. Bwana joloza kapokola u are very right that she is on serios treatment. Uyo anali nurse pano pa ekwendeni. Mkamwana wathu,anakwatiwa kwa chavula Ku enyezini before marrying her driver. Do you think peter is pleased with those outbursts against PAC. Wait, before 10 January she will be out of cabinet. Peter is sorrounded by people who don’t even understand him. Grace nthena yayi,wona wanyako wali chete. Samala

  23. Can someone tell Grace and Tembenu that you dont pick a fight with the Clergy especially the Catholic bishops. I guess these folks were in kindergarten in 1992 when Kamuzu and his Cronies wanted to assassinate the Bishops – We all know what happened to Kamuzu regime afterwards.

  24. This lady must be on serious treatment! Her ugliness tell a story of her heart. Is this woman even educated! Her logic sounds very weak everytime. DPP never learns from its past mistakes. Bringing Ntaba, Dausi, Mulli among others will make Malawi burn again. Burning, it will, because thats what DPP needs. Others die and others live but thats the way it goes if we chose democracy. It is them who will have lost their legacy that will haunt APM one day. He will be busy answering charges while the rest of his advisors will have dissappeared! Let the game begin.

  26. Chiumia has finally come out of the cocoon to show her party’s true colours. No wonder Chiefs have been used to speak against it. No matter what happens, Malawians will carry the day as I don’t see them relenting the pressure..These are the same people who said Malawi is not ready for a female candidate and yet they make a lot of noise 50-50 system in Parliament. what logic is there? Calling the clergy, a bunch of confusionists? This woman has crossed the red line. One MCP member in 1993 after the first ever pastoral letter said “mabishopuwa tiwakodzera m’mutu.” I am sure you know what followed? MCP lost the referendum and has been in the opposition for two decades now. Unfortunately, it was also a woman who made this silly remark. So, woman mind your gabble!!!

  28. I doubt if this woman is indeed a learned person or if she is thinking normally. shame to you I think you ought not to be called Grace but Shame. and you are a disappointment to the people of your home . ife timacha basi

  29. Kodi a DPP mukuopa eti? Mukudziwa kuti Pitala wanuyo pa Chakwera sangamaketu. Come 2019 whether 50+1 or not, Chakwera is taking over government. Tatopa nanu anthu akuba, ozunza inu, clueless government. You can buy 100 opposition MPs kuti bill isakadutse but know that millions will vote them out of the house including your government. Mark my word.

  30. Let minister Chiumia know that DPP does not own Malawi, 2) It is the same PAC she calls ‘bunch of confused clergy’ who fought for multiparty in Malawi, where was she that time! 3) It’s an insult to call men of God bunch of confusionists, I’ve pulled back my 2019 vote for DPP.

  31. Chiumia! You are so confused. We know that DPP is not in favour of these bills simply because it knows pretty well that it no longer popular. You want to remain in power though you are not performing. We are angry and on 13 December we are matching come rain or sunshine. We want to reclaim our destiny.

  32. Munthu akakhala pongono amayamba ndi makutu kugontha… DPP is slowly digging its own…. I can see the once mighty party going down

  33. The people of Malawi deserve a legitimate president come 2019. Its high time we enrich our hard won democracy. We need electoral reform bill now.

  35. So the issue is not that the government is not ready BUT rather the government doesn’t support it and doesn’t want it!

  36. This topic has been exhaustingly discussed. To say that a group of what the Minister described as “confused religious leaders” are wasting their time to call for “50+!” winner is hear indication that who say that is equally confused. It is further an indication of fear to lose the grip of power by whoever is in control. The world over follows the system of “50+1” system .could overcome such a problem,

    As an argument against following the current system, suppose all candidates have an equal percentage of voters. who will be the winner? Surely the 50+1 system addresses this problem. Am sure some have stated other reasons for adopting the 50%+1.

    1. Kikkkkkk hahahaahahaha!! 50+1 can not be given to both of contestants!!! we are talking about percentages mwanva?

      1. I have friend of mine from up north from Madame Graces constituency who has always harboured ambitions to run against this lady. Whilst all along I have restrained him from doing so, this is enough reason for me and friends to encourage him to do so in 2019.It is this kind of thinking that is taking our country backwards. This should not be tolerated. Nyamatyu akuchinyani and he will not be running to be corrupt or for the money since ndalamazo alinazo. You even wonder, where does Malawi get such backward thinking Ministers that all they want is perperuate poverty and backwardness.Inuyo muyambe kulimbana ndi ampingo? You are finished

        1. This Grace is not learning she had a fracas in Mzuzu with people selling their wares and running mini buses.
          I come from the same constituency she addressed people, she down graded men of God and the MP there is Harry Mkandawire. I do wonder how she was addressing people in this constituency.

          I am assuring all credible Malawians that this lady has dug her own grave. She cannot down play God by allowing His men to do his work.

    2. Very confused Minister, she can’t even notice that it is her who is confused and not these very caring clergy.

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