Parties in Karonga agree to support 50:50 campaign with no conditions
Political parties in Karonga have agreed to join hands to support women candidates during political campaigns for them to win in the forthcoming Tripartite Elections.
The decision was made last week during a meeting organised by Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS) in Karonga District.
FOCUS 50:50 Campaign Project Officer Robert Silungwe hailed the membersship of different parties for coming up with a collective agreement which will help women candidates have at least a good number of representation in the parliament as well as in the chamber, but also in an extension, the presidency.
” I am happy and hail the political parties and members who have agreed to support female candidates regardless of which party one is affiliated to,”said Silungwe.
He added: “The parties have assured us that they will even support independent women candidates during campaign so that we make sure that some have won the seats in the forthh coming Tripartite Elections.”
On her part, Karonga District Gender Officer, Martha Kalumbi commended the parties for the promising support to lender to women candidates during campaign.
But CCJP desk officer for Karonga Diocese, Louis Nkhata, blamed some political parties for coming up with Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)which is barring female candidates to stand as independent candidates.
“Political parties that have such MOUs should revise their MOUs so that female candidates be given a chance to stand as independent candidates if they lose in primaries,” Nkhata said.
Meanwhile Kalumbi asked political parties members in the district to instill cooperation and unity to avoid violence during the campaign period.
Parties that attended the meeting were Umodzi party( UP) united Democratic Front (UDF ) Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) People’s Party (PP) Democratic People’s Congress party (DePeCo),Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP) Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and United Trasformation Movement (UTM)
FOCUS in 50:50 Campaign Project will breakdown the traditional culture that puts women in second position, providing capacity to women and support them fully so that they get the seats.
The project is implemented in the district with support from the Royal Norwagian Embassy through Action Aid at a tune of K160 million.
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Some of the political Parties are just names and the leaders are there to make fortunes and not to help the common people of the land.For instance,why having morethan two Parties in the NORTH? This translates to greed and power hungry leading to national confussion and political dissipation.There is no need for Chihana and Mwenifumbo to fight for leadership as if they own the people of the North.If Chihana and Mwenifumbo worked together,MCP and Chakwera could not have walked on the soils of the North taking into account the way they brutalised and murdered the innocent citizens.What Chihana and Mwenifumbu… Read more »