Mutharika’s aide courts PAC as Dec 13 protests gets more support from Malawi faith groups

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC)  nationwide  demonstrations set for December 13  to push government of President Peter Mutharika  on the enactment of the Electoral Reforms Bills, including the provision of 50+1 proposal of electing the President   to replace the much-maligned First-Past-the-Post , has received overwhelming support from more faith groups.

Bamusi meets PAC officials to ask them to cancel protests if government tables the electoral reforms bills

The Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has joined the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), a group of Catholic Bishops, Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), the Anglican Diocese of Northern Region to persuade their flock to participate in the protests.

The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in the Livingstonia Synod and Nkhoma Synond have also asked its faithful to join the protests in solidarity with PAC.

The Evangelicals like other faith groups, expressed concern with the non-submission of critical bills on electoral reforms to Parliament.

EAM said it “strongly recommend that the best way to resolve these differences is through open, honest and sincere engagement.,” between the  stakeholders, accusing government of  Democratic  Progressive Party (DPP) of showing no interest on discussions on matters of national interest.

The marches, which will be held under the theme: “We demand Transformative Leadership: Now is the time to reclaim Our Destiny”, demand Parliament to table the controversial Electoral Reforms Bills whose major highlight is the 50+1 win requirement in future presidential elections.

The planned peaceful marches will be held in the cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu.

Last week, PAC presented a petition to Parliament, asking the Legislature to table the Bills.

Meanwhile, presidential aide Mabvuto Bamusi engaged PAC officials in a bid to pacify the situation and derail the marches, saying the meeting was part of an interface between government and the watchdog.

He was delegated by President Mutharika to lure the clergy to call off the protests should government table the bills.

Bamusi, who Presidential adviser on civil society (CSOs)  said Mutharika’s government  “respects the demands made by the religious bodies” on  the inclusion of 50+1 provision and gave “the highest assurance”  that the process to table in Parliament the bills will start before long.

He said: “Government does believe in conflicts with PAC. It considers the religious grouping and the entire faith groups as friends and partners in development.

Executive director of PAC Robert Phiri said Bamusi hinted that government would start presenting the bills “sometime this week” but quasi-religious organisation will proceed with the peaceful marches “unless otherwise stated by the PAC board of governance.”

But Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Grace Chiumia has said that Mutharika administration does not support the electoral reforms.

She also accused PAC of being a “bunch of confusionist clergy.”

The Law Commission recommended the following Bills collectively called Electoral Reforms Bills: Constitution (Amendment), Electoral Commission (Amendment), Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act (PPEA) and Local Government Elections Act, Assumption of the Office of President (Transitional Arrangement) and Referendum.

The most contentious of the Bills relate to the amendment of Section 80 (2) of the Constitution and Section 96 (5) of the PPE Act to provide for a change of the electoral system from a simple majority to a majority of more than 50 percent in the presidential race.

The Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill as proposed by the Special Law Commission recommended the enactment of the Elections Management Fund to ensure Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is financially autonomous.

It also proposed changes in the appointment of the MEC chairperson as well as composition of the commissioners.

The Referendum Bill, on the other hand, aims to introduce legislation on how to conduct a referendum as one does not exist currently.

The Assumption of the Office of President (Transitional Arrangement) proposes amendment to the Constitution to allow that swearing in of President and Vice-President be done after 30 days not within 30 days as prescribed in Section 81 (3) of the Constitution.

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59 replies on “Mutharika’s aide courts PAC as Dec 13 protests gets more support from Malawi faith groups”

  1. Abwanawo atuma iyeyo kuti ukambe ndi amipingo omwe akutuma Grace Chiume kutukwana amipingo.Kodi mitu yanu ikigwira bwinobwino kubomako kapena mwalodzedwa? Palibe chanzeru mukambirana bwanji? Dziko ndi la a Malawi,kukusankhani sindiye kuti ndinu anzeru ndipo Abusa mumawanyozawa sukulu adaphunziranso ndiye muzilemek

  2. You Bamusi served this great nation well when you were in CSOs, you were the voice of the voiceless. You commanded great respect.

    Now that you were bought by a most corrupt govt you lost that respect. We are with the clergy on this bill. The people have spoken

  3. Bwana Bamusi here this! The issues raised by the clergy are too numerous and tabling electoral reform bills is one of them. Please ask your party to table the bill but 13 Dec 2017 is fast approaching for the scheduled countrywide demonstrations unless you also deal with all concerns that PAC raised.

  4. Mabvuto Bamusi kanyere kuphiri..Ife matching and movement of Jah People on 13th December 2017. Unless we see it passed

  5. DPP ikhoza kupambana zisankho kopanda Inu a mpingo. Anthu athu kumwera kuno onse ngochita bwino olo mumidzi zanu pakati ndi ku mpoto pamodzi ndi mipongo yanu

    1. Kuchitabwino kwake Kuti?Matenant afodya ochokela kwanuko nkumabwera kumpoto simuwawona, njara yodya nayo zikhawo yija ndi misisi ya ntchochi ija mwayiwala. Kwanuko anthu adakali kuyenda bair footed: zikang’a zili tho!! Kwinaku akusutira zingambwe m’ma estate.

      Inu mumaziwona ngati ndiochita bwino. On the HDI (Human Development Index), you are the worst performing region in Malawi, because of the disparity between the rich, middle class and the poor found in your region. Also your literacy levels need a lot to be desired. It is because of lack of proper understanding in school that you boasting of nothing you know about.

      In your region there only few rich elite politicians and their family associates who steal tax payers money for their own benefit. They exploit you during elections as slaves only to get more money for themselves and add more misery on you poor people. Ask yourself how many northerners come to your tea estates to work as tenants? On the contrary, they come there as managers and other working high class personnel; that’s a big difference in class.

      SO DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF. GET A LIFE AND OPEN YOUR EYES.

      1. IWE ndiye mbuzi Yopanda mano ! It is a well known factor that south is more developed than your north. Maybe unene kuti kumeneko you are more developed in terms of KUNYENGANA pachibale nokanoka.Infact Kapena iwe unabadwa munjila yoti mayi ano anagona ndi achimwene awo. WANDIKWIYITSA KWAMBIRI IWE

      2. In fact The prevalence of anamapopa and albino killings in this region is a clear testimony of its backwardness. Honestly beside their being rulers they provide cheap labour here in Kasungu and their women are cheap and easy sex mates. Again a sign of poverty.

    2. Kkkkkkkk nesa nkuchita bwinoko,tiyeni tizilikonda dziko lathu.Muziyenda muone mayiko ochita bwino

      1. wasowa zonena iwe, kuchita bwino mukudziwa inu , kumayendako nthawi zina ndi bwino go pa zambia pomwepa and see kusiyana kwa iwo ndi amalawi.. let the bill passno matter what

  6. Good boy mabvuto,u are different from this Grace chiumia who call the clergymen as confusionists. The president should keep up that spirit of dialogue. The bill is about Malawi not just DPP as grace put it. MCP never wanted multi party but Malawians did. The president should not be busy fighting PAC. And those chief you use are making matters even worse. We have youthful chiefs in mzimba here,have you seen how they behave? Dialogue is the way to go. Mr President,remove grace chiumia.akukolezela ziwawa.

      1. Am a Tumbuka but grace is rabish in her head, lets we put peple of good reasoning rather than people wo have wronf mind sets

  7. Go! Go! These arrogant leaders should not take Malawians for granted. Tembenu promised that the bill will be tabled in this current parliament pano mukuti it has not passed through all the necessary stages. Which iswhich??? Ukhuluku MATCHONA inu. Musoyisovenge. Bamusi you were commanding a very good respect before you were given bans. Yes ndalama inapachikitsadi JESUS CHRIST. If you have humanity and God fearing you know you have missed the game hence prepare for the outcome.

  8. I never see Christians taking part in political issues,Are u sure that u want to protests with them?,don’t agree that because is not your side,seek your Lord Jesus Christ and he will give u what u need.

    1. Fool!! Very foolish indeed; Christianity was born among politics and who are politicians if I may ask? They are leaders, rulers or in those days we could emulate them as kings or shouldn’t we because they don’t carry royal blood? Was DAVID king of heaven because he was chosen by God? What then is the relationship between Christianity and God ? Don’t we say Christianity is the confirmation of Godliness? Then why did God chose people to lead or rule other people then brought Christianity and you with your small brain think there’s no link between Christianity and politics? Jesus will never give you what you need but will surely help you to get what you need. Oppressed people can never make good christians; so who should fight-off the oppressor and die on your behalf; me or someone or Jesus? Definitely not me alone and Jesus will only help you fight your battles and He will not fight for you when you’re busy doing nothing in the name Jesus; so wake up Fool!

    2. If you think politics and Christian are miles apart then you are wrong and it is possible you do not read your bible. When Daniel was through in a den of lions was it Christianity or politics, what about Jeremiah, Isaiah. The very David running away from his own Child Absalom was Christianity or Politics?, and that old statement. Now in new statement when Paul, Peter , Silas were through from one prison to other was becomes Christianity or Politics?, what about John on Island of Patmos making him blind was that Christianity of Politics. The Lord Jesus Christ as mention him dead like a thief on the cross or in simple term was killed was it because of Christianity or Politics?

      Politics and earthly Christianity are one thing. You cannot separate the two.

  9. 50+1 is a waste of time and resources. It will not solve Malawi’s myriad problems. This whole church campaign shows how myopic we are as people. For the church to be focused on this issue is just appalling. I am Catholic by our church is now a disgrace as is PAC. We can’t buy medication for our hospitals, educational materials for our schools and yet we can afford to have expensive re-runs on our elections which will not solve our economic and political problems.

    1. PAC yakhala ikukambirana ndi boma nkhani zokhudza mavuto osiyanasiyana omwe dziko lino likukumana nalo monga kusowa kapena kuchepa kwa mankhwala. Do you suffer from selective amnesia?

      1. Another fool on the platform, the resources are alot and enough to fend off some of the problems you’re mentioning but it’s the same fools you’re defending who are wasting because of greed. Where were you when bags of local and foreign currencies were hidden in Bingu’s bedrooms and there was none in banks to buy medications for the poor; and now there’s no medication once again in hospitals because they claim there are no resources yet Chaponda is hidding the same in his house? So which resources are talking about?

    2. U are surely myopic. U cant related goid leadership with positive development. I cant even waste my precious time giving u facts and ideal.

    3. Makape inu, when you say wasting resources which resources? because in Malawi resources are wasted everyday that is why we are not developed. When Grace leaves Lilongwe travel all the way to Mzimba just to tell people there that the church is confusing them that is waste of resources. When Mavuto (Problems) Bamusi organize a meeting without and an agenda that is waste of resources

    4. Iwedi ndiwedi Nguli. Bulutu wa munthu. Sycophant weniweni. You can’t separate the good from the wrong. Paja ndiwe DPP cadet eti? Nde unyatu pa 13 December 2017. Kumaka kwakanika, too late for tears!!

    5. There are more issues in the bill not only 50+1, Secondary you have to know that these laws were drafted after reflecting on how the 2014 elections were conducted.Let me tell you that what happened last time would cause conflicts hadn’t been that other parties hold their parence.Now all the international community made a recommendation that the laws should be reformed so that we should have a fare and credible elections

  10. Is it not the same PAC which hated Bingu and wanted the DPP TO BE OUT OF GOVERNMENT BY ISSUING ULTIMALTUM in that year before 2014? Mr Bamusi mukuopa njokaluzi bwanji? PAC will march together with opposition supporters who already feel they are in govt. What talk can you have with a person who is always fighting for your sea?. Those who will march are the opposition in the disguise of PAC. Why waste time with them? Those of us who follow politics can see that the 50+1 will be to the advantage of the same DPP. Presidents should chose their advisors from those who at least know a little politics. 50+1 CANNOT BENEFIT THE OPPOSITION in anyway. Tasiyenu akamenye perete.

    1. Awaso kodi umbuliu ndiye munabadwa nawo eti? iziso ndiza Opposition party?
      why then the D.P.P is failing to do things that will benefit themselves? Iweso ndiye ayitu.

  11. At least for the first time we are unable to hear tribal undertones in this proposed march for democracy. I hope we can all build on this from now on as one nation.

    People should stop thinking that we criticise government because we are not from the south. Rather we do so because we care for the whole country. We want to see all regions of our country to develop including the south itself especially Mwanza Neno, where people were walking literally naked!

  12. Zionetsero zachitanamtindi cha anthu ngati zomwe zidzachite pa 13 December, 2017 ndi chilankhulo chokhacho chomwe asamvamkunkhu a DPP amamva mofulumira. Mwano umene akhala akugeya a Chiumia, a Tembenu, mafumu aganyu ndipo akapilikoni ena ndi omwe wakwiyitsa aMalawi. Anthu inu ndinu achabe. Mukuchita mwano pomwe zinthu zambiri sizikuyenda bwino. Muli ndi chibwana!

  13. PAC chonde Bamus askupusitseni zionetsero zikhalekobe pokhapokha bill ipase chifukwa a dpp ndimakhruku a China Dausi ndi Mtaba. Tisalore kutidyera masuku pamutu. Zikomo

  14. Always people win especially when group of religious are on their side. I never saw in my life dictator won against churches. DDP could have been avoided that protest long time. Now they are on other site of the coin which goes against the truth and honesty. It will be very hard for them to be trusted

  15. Muvi oyang’anira bwana Pitala umalowa mmaso, you’re very arrogant — muyambano kunjenjemeratu sopano bwana—- the heat that is coming will be too much for you because after the December 13 marching, we’ll demand for Zimbabwe style …….kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

  16. Dzanja lalemba basi. Mabvuto Bamusi! Whether you want or not,we are matching on 13 December, 2017. We all know that you were bought by DPP to do that job but no body will pay attention to your gimmicks.

  17. Apa ndiye kuti boma layamba kumva mbebe,osamaseweretsa a Malawi ngati ana,posachedwapa mudali kuopposition ndiye pano mutumbwe ngati ndinu Mulungu.

  18. I totally agree that 50+1 should also include MPs we should not be selective since both are public offices. It will also be fair during our church elections to follow majority vote

  19. PAC has been virified by this government tyhrough its partisan chiefs and other people on MBC through programmes hosted by Phillip Business. Now you want to talk because other faith groups have joined.

  20. kkkkkkkkkkkkk so you have started feeling the heat? you thought PAC was all alone in this? tell your headless Chiefs hands off our hard earned democracy they no longer speak for the citizenry we gave that responsibility to PAC

    1. Mafumu achabe chabe amenewa adzalira one day. Don’t play with our lives. Takana kutisewelesa Ife. Olo mufune or musafune nnna izi za political bill tizipereka kugwira ntchito. Come sunshine or not.

  21. Ife tikuvomelezana ndi a PAC ndi a leader of opposition kuti 50+1 ikhudze president ndi ma MP onse and not selective. This amendment if not there, forget our support.

  22. A BAMUSI MUFUNA MUKAMBE KUTI CHANI MUNTHU WAZIPHUPHU NGATI IWE ULI KU STATEHOUSEKO KUDYA MAKOBILI UNGADZIWE MAVUTO A DZINALAKO

  23. The fools or idiots in DPP forget that it was PAC that led the Nyali vs Tambala wakuda in the 1993 referendum. The DPP is now behaving like MCP of those days. At least Kamuzu was accommodative by calling for a referendum unlike the idiots in DPP who are saying Malawians are not ready for 50+1. Who are you to say that? we are the ones who pay tax and you are just stealing it instead of developing the country. I say again you are idiots.You are thieves.

  24. The 50+1 bill should also go for Members of Parliament. We don’t want an MP who has won with 100 votes. Please government include this component of MPS

  25. It is the same DPP government that cancelled the meeting with PAC at the eleventh hour. That to me is arrogance of the highest order. Bamusi and his clueless President Pitala just want to buy time as the pressure from PAC and some CSO’s is piling. My friend Bamusi, the writing is on the wall unless you and your greedy fools are too blind to see. Bishops and PAC are the ones who pioneered the democracy that we are enjoying right now, the democracy that you are able to abuse by oppressing us. Where was you APM that time? Take your time and brief him how bold courageuos these men of God were to stand up against Kamuzu the then Life President. They fought against the Lion and I do not think they can fail to do the same against a mere Leopard. As things stand today, just know that the citizenry is fed up with the DPP’s nepotism and corrupt practices. We want radical change, wa want the government that will be able to listen to the poor voters, the government that will have the welfare of the poor people at heart. I am sure PAC will not bow down to that but instead go ahead and plan, mobilise and sensitise people on how the demonstrations will proceed. Bravo PAC, bravo ECM, MCM and all CSO’s for standing up for this noble cause. We are behind you up until the rule of law is upheld. Long live Malawi, long live democracy.

    1. He is not even a Leopard!
      He is just a well fed toothless dog that scares people because of his fatness.

    1. Anthuwa ali ndi kusyang’ana zakumbuyo. PAC simayang’ana kuti awa ndi a Ngwazi,,, amawagwetsa, Yense wayamba kukangana ndi PAC kwake ameneyo kwatha!!!!

  26. The Act to be amended is known as the Presidential and Parliamentary Election Act (PPEA) hence the need to subject both the president and Members of Parliament to 50+1 rule. No selective justice.
    Ma bishop athu we respect you, push for this if you are to remain salt and light for Malawi.

      1. Why should it involve MP’S when the whole idea behind the bill is to make sure that the President is not elected on a tribal vote?Paja tikamakavota aMalawi timati tivotere ujeni mzathu.What with these tribal groupings springing up every day.With the 50+1 smaller tribes votes will count.Timangokuonani mukamavoterana nokhanokha.We of smaller tribes will just be voting for the BEST CANDIDATE.

        1. This brilliant post. Well argued. We want a president not based on tribal lines. This is unlike MPs. Koma Ena try to divert to MPs. It tells how unlearned they are.

    1. Now you have sided yourself to these groups? shame on you!
      You came here and your friends accusing Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
      You thought it was him?
      My friends tell your friends that these are Malawians who have organized these demons and it will happen.
      Suppose these people who are doing these demos are M.C.P according to what you have been saying here, what will happen?
      Muziganiza mwanva?
      God bless MALAWI.

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