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

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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Molere
Molere
6 years ago

Kodi abusa ake ndani? Please share contacts for Grace’s Pastor if she has one?

Maunits
Maunits
6 years ago

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.

Watematema Mutu
6 years ago

Koma abale Grace wafika mpaka pamenepa calling walisyi kuti a bunch of confusionists. Panopa wafikapo…. watsungula… ziphuphu zija zatha!

BEJE
BEJE
6 years ago

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 .

Santana wa Satana
6 years ago

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

Molere
Molere
6 years ago

This has to do with DPP not Tumbuka. She speaks as DPP. Be wise nawenso.

Lirambwe
Lirambwe
6 years ago

Kodi ka mwana ka ku MEC mumanyengana nako kaja sikamakuthandizani nzeru?

nyasimmaso
nyasimmaso
6 years ago

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

Kunena Mosapsyatila
Kunena Mosapsyatila
6 years ago

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.

Gogodasi
Gogodasi
6 years ago

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.

Molere
Molere
6 years ago
Reply to  Gogodasi

Grace is a disgrace to Tongas of Nkhata bay north west.

Kanthiti Mzandu
Kanthiti Mzandu
6 years ago

Basi kumafunabe zolumbitsa usiku asanathe kuwerenga mavoti koma mkazi uyu mapazi ako

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